tfff 


OF  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGELES 


Miss  Moccasins  *  *  *  *  -f 
*  *  *  -f  by  Marah  Ellis  Ryan 


Chicago  and  New  York  *** 
Rand,  McNally  &  Company 


4* 


Copyright,  1904,  by  Rand,  McNally  &  Co. 


To 
A.  R  M. 

The  only  "Anchor  "  I  ever  knew, 

and  to 

my  dear  friends, 
her  children. 


Los  Angeles,  California* 
February  i 


Miss  Moccasins 


THE  PASSING  OF  FELIPE. 

Two  men  faced  each  other  aggressively  across 
the  table  in  a  little  adobe  high  up  in  the  hills.  For 
over  an  hour  the  hot  argument  had  raged,  and  the 
settlement  was  not  yet. 

The  sun  was  already  sinking,  and  a  last  depart- 
ing ray  flashed  for  a  space  through  the  open  door 
and  touched  the  narrow  brown  face  of  the  younger 
man,  gleaming  on  his  white  teeth,  his  full  lips  so 
exceedingly  red,  and  his  glancing,  restless  eyes — • 
the  eyes  of  a  trapped  creature  at  bay. 

His  slender  brown  fingers  rolled  and  tapped 
the  cigarette  on  which  the  fire  was  long  since  dead. 
His  last  attempt  at  bravado  against  the  dogged 
resolve  of  the  other  man  had  been  an  utter  fail- 
ure ; — and  he  reverted  to  a  side  issue  with  a  sneer- 
ing flash  of  simulated  rage. 

"  Bah! — Do  you  think  I  have  no  eyes  to  see? — > 
that  I  am  all  a  fool  ?  It  is  for  the  woman  that  you 
stir  up  this  hell  about  the  money;  it  is  for  the 
woman  that  you 

"  It  certainly   is,"  interrupted  the  other  man, 


Miss   Moccasins 

whose  face  was  in  the  shadow,  and  whose  man- 
ner was  as  cool  as  that  of  the  first  speaker  was 
nervous.  He  rose  and  pushed  back  his  chair  with 
a  movement  of  decision.  "  I've  listened  to  your 
explanations  and  I've  waited  for  your  promises 
to  pan  out,  Felipe,  and  they  are  just  about  what 
I  expected  when  you  made  this  appointment — no 
good !  You've  cut  a  wide  swath  for  the  past  year, 
but  this  is  reckoning  day!  Affairs  are  too  much 
tangled  now  to  be  kept  from  your  wife  a  day 
longer.  I  am  going  straight  to  her  from  here  and 
tell  her  the  whole  thing — you  should  do  it  but  you 
are  too  much  of  a  shirk; — and  some  one  has  to ! — 
For  the  woman?  Yes!  Not  only  for  one 
woman — but  two !  " 

'  To  hell  with  them  both — and  you  along  with 
them !  "  screamed  Felipe,  with  the  shrill  fury  of 
his  Mexican  mother  in  his  voice.  "  You  had  first 
chance  with  them  both;  why  did  you  not  take 
them  then?  You  track  me  down  now  because  I, 
Felipe  Darrett,  took  them  from  you !  You  want 
the  name  of  another  man,  while  you  make  the 
game  your  own ;  you 

But  the  other  man's  fingers  had  him  by  the 
throat. 

'You  thankless  dog!"  he  muttered.  'You 
foul-mouthed  cur!  Ah! — would  you? — none  of 
that!" 

For  a  revolver  gleamed  in  the  hand  of  Felipe, 

8 


Miss   Moccasins 

and  the  two  figures  swayed  back  and  forth  in  the 
little  room,  Felipe  snarling  like  a  trapped  chap- 
paral  cat,  showing  his  white  teeth  and  distorted 
lips — not  red  now,  but  white  with  rage  at  his  own 
impotence.  The  other  man  was  struggling  only 
to  secure  the  gun,  but  Felipe  to  use  it. 

Then  in  a  flash  it  was  all  over — the  gleam  of 
fire — the  deafening  report  in  the  isolated  adobe 
dwelling — and  the  hands  of  Felipe  slipped  limp 
from  the  coveted  weapon,  and  clutched  for  an 
instant  at  his  breast  where  the  cartridge  had  torn 
its  ugly  path.  Swaying  blindly  forward,  he 
caught  at  the  table  and  thence  fell  headlong  to  the 
floor. 

"  Carmenita !  " — he  gasped,  as  his  head  went 
back  in  a  nasty,  spasmodic  way. 

The  victor  dropped  the  revolver  beside  the 
still  form  on  the  floor,  and  mechanically  lifted 
his  own  hand  and  looked  at  it; — yes,  it  had 
grasped  the  gun  when  the  shot  was  fired,  but  the 
fingers  of  Felipe  had  also  been  clinging  to  it. 
Who  could  say  which  of  them  had  touched  the 
trigger?  He  did  not  know, — and  his  victim 
would  never  bear  witness  in  earthly  courts  again! 

There  was  little  pity  or  regret  on  his  face  as  he 
stared  moodily  at  the  still  figure,  only  a  sort  of 
blank,  puzzled  horror;  and  after  a  little  he  drew 
forward  a  chair  and  sat  there,  his  eyes  still  on  the 
dead  face,  while  he  leaned  forward,  his  chin  on 


Miss   Moccasins 

his  hands,  and  endeavored  to  weigh  the  conse- 
quences involved. 

His  mental  arraignment  of  his  own  responsi- 
bility was  clear,  logical — and  not  encouraging! 
An  accident?  Yes,  of  course  it  was  an  accident. 
With  twelve  sane  men  on  a  jury,  and  a  sane  judge 
on  the  bench,  and  a  level  headed  Public  Opinion 
to  approve  their  decisions — yes, — with  that  sort 
of  a  combination  the  "  accident  "  theory  would 
be  accepted.  But  the  man  staring  at  the  figure  on 
the  floor  realized  that  seldom — very  seldom — did 
fate  arrange  such  a  spectacle  for  the  eyes  of  man. 
Could  he  hope  that  this  would  be  one  of  the 
times? 

For  the  man  on  the  floor  had  his  friends, — the 
master  of  one  of  the  finest  estates  in  the  country 
was  bound  to  have  friends  of  some  sort!  Then 
his  young  and  pretty  wife! — widow  now! — 
would  not  her  situation  appeal  to  the  chivalry  of 
a  land  ever  ready  to  respond  to  beauty  in  distress? 
— especially  if  Beauty  was  possessed  of  generous 
rent  rolls? 

He  doubted  not  the  rent  rolls  had  dwindled 
more  than  she  guessed  during  the  brief  year  the 
clever  trickster  there  had  held  the  reins  of  manage- 
ment; she  had  been  little  more  than  the  bank  for  a 
gambler, — the  vain,  indolent,  romantic,  fool! 

Back  of  her  fair  face  arose  a  vision  of  Don 
Felipe's  own  relatives  on  the  mother's  side, — indo- 

10 


Miss   Moccasins 

lent,  grasping,  gambling  Mexicans  of  all  ages  and 
states  of  penury,  living  on  the  crumbs  let  fall 
from  the  table  of  their  "  most  dear  Felipe  I  " 

The  man  grinned  for  an  instant  as  he  pictured 
the  righteous  wrath  of  those  worthies.  The  loss 
of  their  dear  Felipe  would  be  a  blow  at  their  own 
stomachs,  and  he  could  fancy  their  emotional 
appeals  for  the  life  blood  of  the — it  was  an  ugly 
word,  but  was  the  only  word  he  spoke  aloud — 
murderer ! 

He  must  have  been  intent  there  a  long  time, 
for  as  his  voice  sounded  out  through  the  open 
door,  his  horse,  tied  without,  whinnied  invitingly. 

That  aroused  him.  He  must  go !  A  half  mile 
away  the  roads  forked,  one  leading  to  the  county 
seat  ten  miles  away,  and  the  other  to  the  dead 
man's  hacienda — a  half  hour's  ride  across  the 
range.  Which  would  he  choose,  the  authorities, 
or  the  woman  herself? 

Mechanically  he  picked  up  his  hat,  but  noticed 
beside  it  a  pretty  carved  comb.  In  the  struggle 
one  of  the  men  had  stepped  on  it — a  corner  was 
broken  off. 

Not  on  the  head  of  Felipe's  wife  had  those 
amber  headings  gleamed!  The  face  of  the  man 
for  the  first  time  grew  dark  and  pitiful.  Two 
smoke-black  eyes  seemed  to  gaze  at  him  in  mute 
reproach  and  desolation  from  under  the  mantilla 
of  the  owner  of  the  comb — too  fine  a  mantilla, 

ii 


Miss   Moccasins 

and  too  rare  a  trinket  for  a  laborer  of  the  vine- 
yards or  the  rancheria  garden. 

Poor  little  devil !  Her  brief  glimpse  of  para- 
dise had  been  stolen  from  her,  and  now  he  had 
helped  unlock  the  gates  of  her  hell !  What  would 
become  of  her? 

Her  fate  appeared  to  him  to  be  the  only 
humanly  appealing  thing  connected  with  the  man 
on  the  floor,  who  had  given  his  last  breath  to  her 
name  instead  of  to  his  wife,  the  only  question 
except  that  of  dollars  and  cents  to  be  adjusted  in 
case  of  his  death. 

And  this  had  been  their  trysting  place, — this 
old,  forgotten  dwelling  among  the  vines !  Others 
would  come  here  now,  men  and  women  with 
anxious  eyes,  some  of  whom  had  guessed — or 
even  knew — poor  Carmenita's  madness.  He 
thrust  the  comb  in  his  pocket; — the  least  he  could 
do  was  to  save  her  from  being  mixed  up  with 
this! 

He  made  a  silent  survey  of  the  little  adobe,  to 
remove  any  other  visible  traces  of  her  visits  there. 
In  one  corner  he  saw  tools  of  the  vineyard,  the 
only  sign  that  the  workmen  ever  came  this  way. 

The  place  smelled  close  and  musty,  as  if  it  had 
long  been  closed.  It  had  evidently  been  opened 
by  Felipe  expressly  for  the  interview  he  had  him- 
self suggested  should  be  held  here  instead  of  at 
the  hacienda.  The  windows  were  barred  on  the 

12 


Miss  Moccasins 

inside.  If  left  open  when  a  light  was  in  the  room, 
it  would  be  seen  across  the  entire  valley.  Felipe 
had  opened  only  the  door,  which  faced  the  hill, — 
clever  Felipe ! 

Two  chairs  had  been  overturned  in  the  strug- 
gle. The  man  righted  them  and  stepped  over  the 
dead  man  to  close  the  drawer  of  the  table  beside 
which  the  corpse  lay. 

Felipe  had  stood  there  at  the  table  as  he  entered, 
and  had  closed  the  drawer  quickly,  as  though 
taken  unawares.  In  falling,  he  had  caught  at  the 
handle  and  the  contents  lay  exposed. 

A  revolver,  the  mate  to  the  one  on  the  floor 
beside  him,  a  box  of  cartridges,  just  opened, — the 
man  counted  them,  examined  both  revolvers,  and 
grunted  comprehendingly. 

Obviously  Felipe  had  been  preparing  himself 
for  a  visitor,  and  had  scarcely  completed  his 
arrangements  for  entertainment  when  the  visitor 
arrived.  With  only  time  to  pocket  one  of  the 
revolvers,  he  had  thrust  the  other  evidences  of  his 
preparation  where  they  would  be  safe  until  needed. 

At  sight  of  them  the  man  smiled,  and  the  inde- 
cision vanished  from  his  face. 

"Who  could  have  thought  it?  The  pretty 
little  snake!  "  he  murmured  softly  as  he  looked  at 
the  man  on  the  floor. 

He  left  the  drawer  open,  its  contents  undis- 
turbed, and  walked  out  through  the  open  door. 

13 


Miss   Moccasins 

"  Humph !  my  good  friend  Felipe !  "  he  contin- 
ued, in  the  same  softly  confidential  tone,  as  he 
mounted  his  horse  and  rode  away  in  the  red  glow 
blending  into  orange  along  the  horizon, — for  the 
sun  had  wheeled  down  beyond  the  Pacific. 


14 


II 

THE   RETURNING   CALIFORNIAN. 

The  night  express  rushing  over  the  foothills  to 
make  up  an  hour  lost  in  crossing  the  range,  sud- 
denly came  to  a  halt  with  a  jar  and  a  quiver, 
causing  timid  folk  enjoying  their  breakfast  during 
the  "  last  call  for  the  dining  car!  "  to  give  vent 
to  their  fears  in  the  various  ways  used  by  people 
in  a  mixed  assembly  threatened  with  annihilation. 

"Freight  wreck  ahead!  parted  rails!  no  one 
hurt!"  was  the  reassuring  cry  of  the  attaches. 
"  Our  train  will  be  delayed  until  road  is  cleared," 
they  added  later.  "  How  long? — oh,  six  or  eight 
hours." 

There  were  tourists  aboard  of  the  catapult 
type, — the  sort  to  go  in  a  canter  through  the 
Grand  Canon.  And  to  lose  six  hours  from  their 
"personally  conducted"  sight-seeing!  There 
was  an  outcry,  a  hunt  for  the  conductor,  and  a 
volley  of  protests  when  they  found  him. 

"  No  help  for  it,  ladies — very  sorry  of  course — 
glad  to  do  anything  we  can  to  make  you  com- 
fortable. Telegrams?  Yes,  Tyler  Junction  is 
only  a  mile  down  the  track.  No, — no  hotel,  only 
a  junction  of  the  south  branch  to  the  mines  and 
the  stage  route  from  Timber  Line." 

15 


Miss   Moccasins 

Then  he  turned  to  the  one  lady  in  the  car  who 
was  traveling  alone,  who  had  listened  but  made 
no  comments,  and  who  had  been  up  and  dressed 
at  dawn  to  watch  the  sun  lighting  the  Sierras. 

"Can  I  telegraph  any  message  for  you?"  he 
inquired.  "  Your  friends  may  be  anxious  " 

"  No,  I  think  not,"  said  the  girl,  smiling  a  little. 
"  You  are  very  kind,  but  no  one  will  be  hysterical 
over  my  delay.  I  am  a  surprise  party."  Then, 
glancing  quizzically  at  the  exclaiming,  protesting 
tourists — "  Haven't  you  trouble  enough  without 
looking  for  more?  "  she  asked. 

A  humorous  twinkle  shone  in  the  conductor's 
eyes  as  he  met  her  frank  glance.  The  comradery 
of  the  American  spirit  was  abroad  in  the  land, 
lightening  his  day's  work ! 

"Will  it  be  an  eight  hours'  wait?"  she  con- 
tinued. He  glanced  at  the  others  before  replying. 

"  More  than  that.  There  is  a  landslide  on  the 
south  branch,  and  there  has  been  a  collision.  The 
wrecker  for  this  division  is  over  there.  The  late 
rains  made  the  trouble.  At  the  best,  we  shall 
have  to  wait  most  of  the  day.  So,  if  there  is  any- 
thing I  can  do  for  you " 

But  there  was  not.  She  returned  to  her  enjoy- 
ment of  the  picture,  spread  in  faintest  tints  of 
early  spring  to  the  far  south.  Palest  of  greens  in 
the  distant  ranges,  olive  tints  close  against  the 
black  of  the  pines,  and,  high  to  the  north,  misty 

16 


Miss   Moccasins 

peaks,  where  the  snow  lay  like  a  white  cloud 
against  the  clear  sky.  She  was  drinking  it  in  with 
parted  lips  and  eager  eyes,  as  if  she  had  entered 
some  longed-for  land  of  dreams. 

"  If  only  there  was  a  hotel  at  that  junction!  " 
lamented  one  of  the  "  personally  conducted  " — 
"  then  we  might  see  something!  " 

'  Yes,  it  would  be  very  jolly  if  we  could  get  a 
carriage  and  look  around,"  conceded  another. 
'  This  is  perfectly  horrid !  "  Then  she  turned  to 
the  girl  with  a  conciliating  smile — a  sort  of  appeal 
to  a  partner  in  distress.  "  Can  you  imagine  any- 
thing worse?  " 

"  Several  things,"  retorted  the  girl.  "  You 
might  have  made  the  trip  by  way  of  Panama, 
you  know,  and  been  tied  on  donkeys'  backs  to  cross 
the  ranges,  like  they  used  to  do  before  the  days 
of  railroads.  You  might  have  eaten  tortillas  and 
frigolles  instead  of  your  dining-car  breakfast,  and, 
altogether,  you  might  have  had  a  charming  time, 
— if  you  had  lived  to  tell  of  it !  " 

The  woman  addressed  laughed  with  her  com- 
panions, yet  looked  dubious. 

'  Did  they  actually  tie  women — ladies — on 
donkeys?  " 

'They  actually  did;  and  if  a  donkey  slipped 
the  trail,  it  was  worse  for  the  rider  than  a  freight 
car  blocking  the  road.  My  father  crossed  in  the 
'50*8  that  way." 

17 


Miss   Moccasins 

"Oh — are  you  a — a  native?"  queried  the 
other.  "  I  rather  fancied  you  of  the  East." 

"  What  have  I  done  to  deserve  that?  " 

"Done — deserve?"  repeated  the  woman, 
mildly  puzzled  at  the  little  ironic  smile.  u  Oh, — 
I  don't  know  exactly.  Or  of  the  South?  When 
I  first  heard  you  speak  to  the  porter,  I  thought 
you  suggested  the  South, — your  voice,  you 
know  !" 

"  If  I  am  of  a  South,  it  is  this  South,"  said  the 
girl,  with  a  sweeping  gesture  to  the  lands  spread 
to  the  far  hills,  "  the  most  beautiful  South  in  all 
the  world."  She  laughed  and  blushed  a  little  at 
her  over-enthusiasm.  "  Of  course,"  she  conceded, 
"  it's  a  bore  for  you  to  have  to  wait,  but  I  would 
cheerfully  camp  at  the  junction  for  a  week,  or 
walk  barefoot  to  the  sea,  just  to  feel  California 
soil  under  my  feet  again !  " 

"  How  strange,"  decided  the  woman,  contem- 
plating the  enthusiast.  "  Now,  I  can't  fancy 
myself  feeling  like  that  about  Pennsylvania  or 
New  Hampshire, — can  any  of  you?  " 

None  of  them  could,  and  after  a  few  equally 
congenial  exchanges  of  remarks,  the  tourists  filed 
out  of  the  car  to  view  the  overturned  freight,  and 
that  task  accomplished,  they  sauntered  idly  to  the 
junction. 

The  Californian  was  ahead  of  them  and  was 
already  making  .some  purchases  of  Indian  bead 

18 


Miss   Moccasins 

work  from  the  agent,  who  had  quite  a  little 
museum  of  baskets  and  trinkets  in  his  office.  He 
had  spread  out  the  finest  for  her  admiration  and 
received  a  good  day's  wages  on  the  profit  from 
the  beaded  belt,  a  pair  of  moccasins,  and  a  string 
of  really  fine  turquoise. 

"  I  should  like  to  put  them  on  this  minute!  " 
she  confided  to  the  conductor,  who  was  an  amused 
witness  to  the  bargaining.  "  My  foot  is  on  my 
native  heath,  and  my  name's  McGregor.  I  want 
to  celebrate — and  I  simply  can't  do  much  in  that 
line  with  the  complaints  of  those  tourists  in  my 
ears, — they  spoil  the  music  for  me.  I  hear  you 
have  a  lot  of  colonists  coming  in  now; — is  that  a 
fair  type?  " 

"  Pretty  much,"  was  the  amused  reply. 

The  girl  shrugged  her  fine  shoulders  and  walked 
over  to  a  map  of  the  region  that  hung  between 
the  windows.  The  moccasins  and  beads  were  in 
her  hand  and  the  belt  she  had  thrown  over  her 
shoulder.  Many  eyes  turned  to  watch  her.  She 
was  by  far  the  most  distinctive  woman  of  the 
train — or  rather  girl,  for  she  looked  scarcely 
eighteen. 

Her  plain  corduroy  of  brown  and  the  soft  hat 
to  match,  had  nothing  of  the  masculine  touch,  so 
often  suggested  by  such  material.  The  jacket 
covered  a  waist  of  creamy  silk,  with  a  soft  collar 
turned  down  over  the  brown  tie.  A  tiny  pin — an 

19 


Miss   Moccasins 

anchor  set  in  rubies — held  the  knot  of  silk  and 
was  the  only  touch  of  color  in  her  costume. 

Her  hair  had  escaped  from  the  braids  and 
curled  loosely  around  her  neck  and  ears.  Her  eyes 
were  gray  and  chameleon-like  in  their  swift 
changes,  almost  blue-green  in  repose,  almost  black 
when  her  enthusiasm  enlarged  the  pupils  until 
they  fairly  filled  the  iris;  but  changeful  as  they 
were  in  color,  they  were  very  keen  in  their  regard, 
detecting  most  things  within  their  radius.  And 
the  beautifully  curved  mouth  told  many  delightful 
things  without  speech. 

"  Eight  hours,"  she  mused,  looking  at  the  map; 
u  perhaps  more !  That  means  reaching  Olivette 
at  dark,  an  eight  or  ten-mile  carriage  drive  after 
that,  and  no  one  to  meet  me !  I  hope  Phil's  wife 
is  not  a  prim  housekeeper,  or  one  of  those 
creatures  of  ironclad  rules.  One  never  can  tell 
what  a  woman  is  by  the  letters  she  writes!  But 
if  she  is  like  that,  she  will  begin  by  hating  me  for 
swooping  down  on  them,  unannounced,  and  at 
bed-time!  Hence,  Anchor  Darrett,  the  necessity 
of  prompt  and  sensible  decision :  Telegram  or  no 
telegram  ?  " 

A  little  woman  with  faded  blue  eyes,  and  a 
green  veil  swathed  around  her  black  hat,  who  was 
moving  away  from  the  map,  halted  as  she  noticed 
the  girl's  examination  of  the  crossed  and 
re-crossed  maze  of  lines  and  dots.  "  Excuse  me, 

20 


Miss   Moccasins 

please,"  she  ventured  after  a  brief  hesitation,  "  but 
are  you  going  on  the  stage?  " 

"  Stage?  No.  I'm  wreck-bound  and  I'm  wait- 
ing on  this  train." 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  know.  I  saw  you  looking  at 
that  part  of  the  country,"  she  continued,  mildly 
apologetic.  "  I  was  hoping  there  would  be  some 
lady  on  the  stage  besides  myself.  I'm  going  to 
Hermosa  Dam." 

"  Hermosa,  Hermosa  Dam?"  echoed  the  girl. 
"  Why,  that  is " 

"  It  is  just  about  here,"  said  the  other,  using  her 
umbrella  for  a  pointer.  "  I  am  too  short-sighted 
to  be  sure,  and  that  map  is  hung  for  tall  folks; 
but  I  think  it  is  about  there." 

"  So  it  is,"  assented  the  girl,  after  a  closer 
examination,  "  but — but  I  never  supposed  it  could 
be  reached  by  stage  from  here." 

"  They  say  it  was  the  only  way  to  reach  it 
before  the  railroad  sent  a  branch  through  here, 
and  even  now  the  railroad  has  to  make  a  big  circle 
to  catch  the  valley  freight,  while  the  stage  road 
goes  straight  across." 

"  You  are  sure  it  goes  to  Hermosa,  the  place 
near  Olivette  station?  "  queried  the  girl,  delighted, 
yet  doubtful. 

"  Yes,  that's  the  place.  But  the  dam,  the  new 
dam,  is  full  ten  miles  from  the  railroad.  There 
is  some  talk  about  a  branch  road  striking  across 

21 


Miss   Moccasins 

from  here,  but  it  won't  be  yet  awhile.  There  is 
quite  a  settlement  at  the  new  dam  now,  extra  men 
to  finish  the  work  before  the  snow  comes  down; 
but  I  don't  know " 

"Snow  here?" 

"  Melted.    From  the  mountains." 

"Oh!"  Then,  after  a  speculative  pause, — 
"  What  time  does  the  stage  reach  the  settlement?  " 

"  About  dark,  when  it's  on  time.  I've  been 
waiting  here  over  two  hours.  They  say  it  is  late 
on  account  of  the  rains;  they  make  the  roads 
heavy." 

"  But  if  the  train  was  on  time,  could  you  not 
go  more  quickly  by  way  of  Olivette?  " 

"  Carriage  hire  from  Olivette  to  the  dam  costs 
more  than  the  stage  rate  from  here,"  stated  the 
little  woman  promptly.  '  You  see  it  saves  the 
entire  car  fare,  if  a  person  has  time  for  the  stage 
and  don't  object  to  the  dusty  ride." 

"  Dusty?  There  is  not  a  speck  of  dust  to-day; 
the  rains  have  settled  that  and  it  is  glorious !  Time 
for  the  stage?  Wouldn't  you  reach  there  just  as 
soon  to-day  as  by  waiting  for  the  train?  " 

"Oh,  yes;  sooner  to-day,  and  cheaper,  too." 

'  Then  there  will  be  one  woman  besides  your- 
self on  that  stage,"  said  the  girl,  with  sudden 
decision.  "What! — stay  here  among  those 
croakers  for  a  whole  day,  when  I  can  be  riding 
across  the  hills?  Not  any!  Think  of  riding 

22 


Miss   Moccasins 

across  those  hills,  as  Dad  used  to  do !  "  she  added, 
under  her  breath,  with  a  sigh  of  utter  delight. 
"  Oh" — turning  to  the  amazed  little  woman, 
"  I  am  so  glad  I  met  you!  so  glad  you  told  mel 
I  would  not  have  missed  going  that  way  for  any- 
thing!" 

Her  informant  evidently  did  not  see  cause  for 
so  much  enthusiasm; — a  parlor-car  journey  was  a 
thing  greatly  to  be  desired  in  her  eyes. 

"  I  ain't  used  to  stage  travel  myself, — we  called 
them  mostly  hacks  back  East,  where  I  came  from," 
she  replied.  "  And  I  can't  honestly  say  that  I 
prefer  a  stage  to  a  railroad,  but " 

"  But,"  said  the  girl  impulsively,  "  you  have 
not  been  hungering  for  the  sight  of  a  California 
hill  for  years  and  years,  as  I  have !  You  have  not 
dreamed,  waking  and  sleeping,  of  one  garden 
beside  an  orange  grove,  as  I  have.  It  makes  all 
the  difference  imaginable!" 

"Oh!"  with  a  little  accent  of  surprise  and 
kindly  curiosity,  "  then  you  are  not  a  newcomer, 
like  us?  You  are  coming  back?  " 

'  That's  it !  I'm  coming  back  to  a  little  rancho 
beside  a  little  river,  where  the  dearest  brother  in 
the  world  has  had  the  roses  pruned  and  the  gar- 
den planted  every  year  in  the  hope  that  before  the 
leaves  fell  I  might  get  back.  Dear  old  Phil," 
breathed  the  girl,  with  happiness  in  her  voice  and 
a  mist  in  her  darkening  eyes. 

23 


Miss   Moccasins 

"  You've  been  away  a  long  time?  " 

"  An  age !  Ten  years !  With  grand  aunts, 
who  adopted  me  when  my  father  died.  Oh,  they 
were  good  as  gold.  There  were  three  of  them, 
and  folks  called  them  the  Ogden  girls  until  the 
youngest  was  seventy.  That  sort,  you  know!  and 
I  did  care  for  them — dearly !  but  I  never  could 
see  why — why — why — they  stayed  their  lives  out 
in  that  black  land.  Aunt  Louisa  was  the  last. 
She  died  only  six  weeks  ago.  And  here  I  am! 
No  more  three-month  summers  for  the  rest  of  my 
natural  life, — and  no  six-foot  snow  drifts  closer  to 
me  than  those  peaks !  " 

"Ogden?1'  said  the  other,  ruminatively, — 
there  was  a  family  of  Ogdens  lived  near  neighbors 
to  us,  back  in  Ohio.  He  was  a  doctor.  My  name 
is  Watson,  and  I  came  out  here  to  live  with  my 
brother,  over  in  Kern  county.  But  the  place  was 
not  quite — not  quite — all  I  thought  it  would  be — 
so — I — well,  I  declare,  Miss  Ogden,  there  comes 
the  stage  at  last !  " 

The  girl  stared  a  little  at  the  name  given  her. 

"  Oh,  I  did  not  mean  that  I  " — she  began,  and 
then  remembered  the  traveling  impediments. 
"  But  I  must  see  about  my  traps.  I'll  be  in  the 
stage  with  you !  "  she  added,  nodding  brightly  as 
she  left  her  new-found  traveling  companion  and 
hurried  in  quest  of  satchel  and  wraps. 

The  tourists  streamed  out  onto  the  platform  to 

24 


Miss  Moccasins 

view  that  much-exploited  California  institution, 
the  old-fashioned,  four-horse  stage  coach,  and  the 
girl  followed  them  and  assailed  the  driver  as  he 
was  exchanging  mail-bags  with  the  agent. 

His  practiced  glance  took  in  the  trim  perfec- 
tion of  her  traveling  dress,  the  general  air  of  unob- 
trusive affluence:  she  belonged  to  the  private  car 
rather  than  the  stage  coach,  he  concluded. 

"Alone,  Miss?" 

"  All  alone." 

"  Hermosa, — which  Hermosa?  " 

"  Which — why  " — and  the  girl  looked  her 
blank  dismay, — "  is  there  more  than  one?  " 

"  There  is  the  Hermosa  rancho,  the  Hacienda, 
you  know.  Then  there  is  the  old  Hermosa  dam, 
the  one  built  by  the  mission  folks,  the  old  padres. 
Only  a  few  Mexicans  live  at  that  corner  of  the 
place.  We  change  horses  there.  And  the  new 
Hermosa  dam  is  about  four  mile  beyond."  He 
had  looked  at  her  questioningly  as  he  enumerated 
each  point,  but  she  did  not  indicate  which  of  the 
three  she  intended  to  visit.  Accordingly,  he 
added,  "The  Hacienda  is  not  on  the  road;  it  is 
four  miles  across  from  the  new  Hermosa  dam." 

"  And  we  will  reach  it — when?  " 

"Well — it  will  be  dark  at  the  best,  to-night; 
we  are  a  little  behind  time." 

"  Is  there  any  sort  of  hotel  at  the  new  dam,  at 
the  settlement  there  ?  " 

25 


Miss   Moccasins 

He  shook  his  head,  good  naturedly,  but  not 
encouragingly. 

"  Well,  there  must  be  some  house  where  they 
would  keep  a  stranger  for  a  night; — they  would 
not  turn  me  out  in  January,  would  they?  " 

The  driver  smiled,  as  he  glanced  at  her.  "  I 
don't  reckon  you'd  find  any  one  doing  that  along 
this  road  any  month  in  the  year,"  he  remarked. 
And  she  laughed  frankly. 

"  You  make  me  realize  that  I  am  really  and 
truly  in  the  Calif ornias,"  she  said,  as  she  counted 
out  the  coach  fare. 

"Any  baggage,  Miss?" 

"  Not  a  thing;  it  is  all  resting  in  San  Francisco. 
I  meant  to  come  that  way,  but  changed  my  mind 
at  St.  Louis.  I  shall  have  to  telegraph  about  that, 
if  I  have  time." 

"  Five  minutes !     Dinner  at  Berkley  rancho." 

The  telegraph  operator  was  busy,  and  after  a 
moment's  thought,  she  remarked  that  to-morrow 
would  do — there  was  no  real  hurry.  And  turning 
to  look  for  Miss  Watson  of  the  green  veil,  a  name 
spoken  beside  her  caught  her  attention,  and  the 
contemptuous  tone  in  which  it  was  uttered  caused 
her  to  gasp  in  amazement  or  anger,  as  she  halted 
abruptly  and  regarded  with  darkening  eyes  two 
men  who  had  alighted  from  the  stage. 

'  Yes,"  the  older  man  was  saying,  "  Felipe 
Darrett's  another  case  of  the  same  sort!  Had 

26 


Miss  Moccasins 

some  good,  clean  blood  in  him  too,  but  the 
Greaser  strain  drowned  it!  He's  neither  fish, 
flesh,  nor  fowl,  and  as  slippery  as  they  make  them. 
There's  some  talk  of  him  selling  out,  bag  and  bag- 
gage. Well,  the  sooner  the  Darrett  name  is 
wiped  off  the  Hermosa  valley,  the  better  it  will 
be  for  the  valley." 

"  Why,"  said  the  other  man,  in  a  conciliating 
manner,  "  I've  always  heard  that  the  old  man 
Darrett " 

"  Oh,  yes," — and  the  speaker  seated  himself  on 
a  barrel,  his  back  to  the  girl,  and  lowered  his  tone 
a  trifle,  because  of  some  people  passing  in  front. 
Neither  of  the  speakers  noticed  the  rigid  figure  of 
the  girl,  whose  face  was  turned  from  them,  facing 
the  hills,  but  who  was  listening  with  parted  lips 
and  clenched  fingers.  '  Yes,  I  knew  him  well, 
John  Darrett,  and  a  squarer  man  never  lived, — 
square  clear  through,  else  he  never  would  have 
married  that  Mexican  woman.  No  man  would 
have  needed  to,  but  Darrett  was  easy  and  did  not 
know  that.  After  she  died  he  married  a  white 
woman,  one  of  the  best  ones  ever  came  over  the 
range.  All  dead  now  but  this  handsome  duck, 
Felipe,  and  a  girl,  a  half-sister,  somewhere  in  the 
East." 

u  Well,  he  must  be  clever." 

"Clever!  That's  it!  The  tricky  cleverness 
of  the  half-breed.  But  his  head  is  not  level 

27 


Miss   Moccasins 

enough  to  keep  what  he  wins.  He's  got  Her- 
mosa  affairs  tangled  up  in  hard  knots  already." 

"  I  thought  Mac  Leighton  was  managing  the 
Hermosa.  Seems  to  me  I  heard  once  he  was  to 
marry  the  heiress." 

"  Darrett  spoiled  that, — blew  down  here  from 
Frisco  and  eloped  with  the  girl.  Yes,  she  was 
really  a  sort  of  ward  of  Leighton's.  The  old  man 
left  the  rancho  and  the  girl  in  Mac's  charge,  you 
know.  But  he  handed  it  over  to  her,  of  course, 
when  she  married.  No  one  seemed  to  know 
whether  he  was  broke  up  over  it,  or  glad  to  get 
out  of  it!  He  left  for  Mexico  anyway,  and  that 
was  a  year  ago.  Things  have  gone  crooked  with 
the  Hermosa  since  then.  He  is  needed  there  and 
needed  badly." 

"Who  looks  after  his  place?  He  had  good 
property  joining  the  old  dam  when  I  left." 

The  older  man  said  that  Mac  Leighton  owned 
it  yet,  but  he  had  not  heard  who  was  running  it, 
neither  did  he  suppose  that  it  was  Galbraith,  as 
usual.  He  added,  however,  with  a  degree  of  cer- 
tainty, that  it  was  sure  to  be  a  "  reliable,"  for 
Leighton  was  one  of  the  fellows  who  always  had 
luck. 

The  girl,  who  had  been  listening  all  the  while, 
sank  down  on  a  crate  of  bee  boxes  for  some  foot- 
hill apiary  as  the  men  arose  and  walked  across 
the  platform.  All  the  brightness  and  glow  was 

28 


Miss   Moccasins 

gone  from  her  face.  Her  eyes  were  still 
turned  toward  the  hills,  but  the  varied  greens 
were  veiled  in  mist  for  her.  The  Indian  trinkets 
slipped  unheeded  beside  her. 

"Dad! — Dad!"  she  whispered,  as  if  conjur- 
ing something  to  cling  to, — "  Dad!  " 

"  The  stage  is  ready,  Miss  Ogden,"  said  the 
little  woman  beside  her.  At  first  she  made  no  sign 
of  hearing  her  and  the  woman  touched  her  on  the 
shoulder.  Then  she  arose  and  followed,  bitterly, 
and  whether  through  accident  or  deliberately,  she 
made  no  attempt  to  correct  the  stranger's  mis- 
take in  her  name,  as  she  had  been  moved  to  do 
a  few  moments  before. 

The  station  agent  followed  with  the  neglected 
belt  and  moccasins,  as  she  entered  the  stage.  She 
took  them  with  quiet  thanks,  and  sank  back  in 
the  seat  to  face  the  two  men  whose  conversation 
had  taken  away  all  of  her  anticipated  joy  in  the 
ride  over  the  hills.  And  this  was  her  home- 
coming ! 


Ill 

IN  THE  FOOTHILLS. 

With  a  flourish  of  whip  and  lines,  the  driver 
swung  his  four-in-hand  with  commendable  pride 
around  the  circle  of  the  little  hill,  and  gave  the 
tourists  a  satisfying  picture  of  the  old  days. 

That  was  the  California  they  had  expected  to 
see,  the  California  they  had  read  of!  Only  one 
item  was  missing,  and  they  all  felt  cheated  in  con- 
sequence: not  a  gun  was  in  sight,  not  a  cartridge 
belt,  not  even  a  little  silver-mounted  revolver 
peeping  from  a  holster;  the  driver  and  passengers 
all  looked  as  safe  and  tame, — as  Massachusetts! 

u  All  but  the  stunning  girl  with  the  mocca- 
sins," agreed  one  of  the  men.  "  She  looked  like 
a  California  dream  come  true." 

Miss  Watson  clung  desperately  to  the  seat  and 
strap  as  the  coach  rocked  and  rolled  on  its  way. 
Occasionally  she  cast  appealing  and  deprecating 
glances  at  the  others. 

"  I  n-never  im-agined  it  would  be  so  rough 
as  th-this !  "  she  quavered,  as  a  particularly 
rocky  section  was  reached. 

"  I  will  change  places  with  you,  if  you  prefer 
this  side,"  said  the  girl. 

"  N-no — thank  you,   Miss  Ogden.     I   d-don't 

30 


Miss  Moccasins 

know  that  I  do.  If  we  should  go  over  that  preci- 
pice, I  don't  think  there'd  be  much  difference  as 
to  which  side  I  had  been  on." 

The  girl  smiled  and  the  older  man  chuckled, 
indulgently. 

"  Not  the  slightest  danger,  I  assure  you,  Ma- 
dame," he  said  kindly.  '  There,  we  are  over  the 
rough  bit.  You  are  evidently  a  stranger  to  stage- 
coach rides." 

"  I'm  a  stranger  to  the  whole  country,"  she 
replied,  and  settled  back  with  a  sigh  of  relief  as 
the  wheels  rolled  smoothly  over  a  level  stretch  of 
ground.  "  I'm  from  Ohio,  and  we  have  no  such 
gullies  or  acres  of  rocks  on  end — there !  " 

"  Nor  such  January  sunshine,"  said  the  girl, 
with  a  gesture  toward  the  uplands,  where  shim- 
mering rays  alternated  with  flying  clouds  in  a  way 
most  suggestive  of  April. 

'  Yes,  it's  fine  for  you  folks  that  see  it  that 
way,"  agreed  the  woman  from  Ohio,  "  but  I  main- 
tain that  it  is  not  seasonable.  I've  been  over  at 
my  brother's  place  in  Kern  County,  and*  I  declare 
I  was  fairly  sick  of  the  endless  sunshine  and  gar- 
den making  in  the  fall.  I  never  could  get  into 
the  way  of  it.  I'm  going  now  to  take  the  place 
of  a  teacher  that's  sick  at  Hermosa  Dam." 

'  Why,  I  directed  a  teacher  there  yesterday," 
said  the  younger  man;  and  then,  as  he  noticed 
her  change  of  expression — her  utter  disappoint- 


Miss   Moccasins 

ment — he  added,  awkwardly,  ''  Of  course  she  may 
not  suit." 

"  More  than  likely  she  will,"  said  Miss  Wat- 
son, who  could  control  her  words  better  than  her 
facial  expression.  Then  with  a  weary  sort  of  smile 
she  added,  "That's  my  sort  of  luck!  I  came 
west  to  take  care  of  my  brother's  family,  but  he 
was  married  again  before  I  got  here.  Married," 
she  added  with  a  little  sigh,  "  to  a  hustling  sort  of 
woman,  who  doesn't  need  anybody's  help !  It 
was  she  who  planned  that  teacher's  place  for  me. 
It  would  be  a  sort  of  introduction  to  the  school 
boards  out  here,  she  said.  She's  a  fine  manager." 

The  latter  part  of  her  communication  was 
addressed  to  the  girl,  who  seemed  suddenly  to 
appreciate  the  whole  insignificant  tragedy  of  the 
gray,  faded-out  life.  Her  sort  of  luck!  Ever 
too  late,  always  the  one  unnecessary  addition !  A 
life  so  gray  the  sunshine  could  not  gild  it.  And 
yet  with  it  all  she  possessed  a  sturdy  sort  of  phil- 
osophy of  work;  she  never  expected  more  than 
second  best,  and  was  content  if  only  she  could 
gain  that ! 

The  little  white  teeth  set  hard,  and  a  steely 
look  came  into  the  gray  eyes.  Was  she,  with  all 
her  strength  and  advantages,  to  succumb  to  the 
first  rough  wind  of  chance,  when  this  little  faded 
life  faced  its  gales  with  a  smile,  and  came  out  of 
the  storms  with  energy  to  try  again? 

32 


Miss  Moccasins 

u  She  is  heroic  and  perhaps  no  one  has  ever 
guessed  it,"  thought  the  girl,  contemplating  the 
wearer  of  the  green  veil  in  a  new  light.  "  And 
I — they  have  always  vaunted  my  personal  brav- 
ery— all  of  them;  yet  I  have  collapsed  and  gone 
under  at  the  first  capful  of  wind!  Little  gray 
life,  you've  taught  me  the  day's  lesson." 

But  her  buoyant  spirits  were  quelled  despite 
her  philosophy.  She  no  longer  had  the  desire 
to  share  her  joy  and  her  dreams  of  joy  with  the 
chance  traveling  acquaintance.  The  others  in  the 
coach  fell  easily  into  conversation  concerning  the 
country,  its  picturesque  past  and  its  equally  golden 
future.  But  the  girl  who  had  confessed  it  the 
ideal  land  of  her  dreams  remained  apart,  and 
kept  her  gaze  on  the  varied  sunlit  pictures  they 
were  passing. 

Once  she  awakened  from  her  over  self-absorp- 
tion to  say  kindly  to  the  little  school  teacher: 
"  You  must  give  me  your  address  in  Hermosa. 
In  case  you  find  the  position  filled,  I  might  be 
able  to  help  you  to  another." 

"  Oh,  you're  real  kind,"  fluttered  Miss  Wat- 
son. "  Do  you — will  you  be  living  there?  " 

The  girl  was  conscious  that  there  was  an  abrupt 
lull  in  the  conversation  of  the  men  opposite,  and 
framed  her  reply  accordingly. 

"  Not   exactly   in   Hermosa    settlement,   but   I 

33 


Miss  Moccasins 

^expect  to  find  some  friends  between  there  and 
'Olivette." 

"  I  didn't  expect  you  lived  there,  for  you  said 
your  brother's  rancho  was  near  the  river.  There 
are  nothing  but  creeks  around  Hermosa." 

Then  she  fished  around  in  a  satchel  she  was 
carrying  and  found  a  card  with  an  address  written 
'on  it.  , 

"  That's  where  I'm  to  board,  if  I  stay  there," 
she  said.  "  And  if  we  get  in  late  I  suppose  it  is 
as  good  a  place  as  you  can  find,  too.  He's  some 
sort  of  overseer.  The  most  of  the  ditch  diggers 
and  such  like  live  below  the  dam.  This  place  is 
American,  anyway.  I'm  willing  to  take  my 
chances  with  the  most  of  folks,  but  I  do  draw  the 
line  at  a  Mexican  table  or  a  Mexican  bed.  If  you 
ever  could  see  the  babies  and  pigs  and  puppies 
rolling  together  on  the  dirt  floor, — well,  they're 
just  impossible!  " 

"  Yet  their  ancestors  were  lords  of  the  land, 
not  so  long  ago,1'  remarked  the  girl.  "  At  least 
the  Spanish  were,  and  made  the  life  here  an  ideal 
bit  of  Arcady." 

"  Maybe  they  did,"  agreed  the  Ohio  woman, 
who  lacked  the  imagination  to  see  beyond  the 
present  actualities  of  pigs  and  babies;  "  maybe 
they  did,  but  I  never  saw  any  of  that  kind." 

The  girl  again  turned  her  attention  to  the 
green  stretch  of  the  ranges,  dotted  with  great 

34 


Miss   Moccasins 

bands  of  sheep  or  cattle,  and  with  great  grain- 
fields  springing  into  life  with  the  winter  rains, 
to  the  timber  belts  marking  the  water  courses,  and 
thence  high  up  the  hills,  to  where  the  pines  were 
as  a  dark  girdle  beneath  the  snowy  breasts  of  the 
Sierras. 

The  land  she  had  loved  and  longed  for! — of 
which  she  had  been  so  proud! — the  land  she 
would  ever  see  with  the  eyes  of  the  spirit  instead 
of  retaining  photographs  of  its  mud  floors,  where 
the  Mexican  children  played. 

She  had  childish  memories  of  an  adobe  where 
peppers  were  festooned  like  strung  jewels  from 
the  eaves ;  of  one  immense  rose  tree  covering  every 
vestige  of  the  dwelling  except  the  door-way;  of 
heliotrope  thickets  in  which  she  would  hide,  half 
smothered  with  sweetness;  a  great  garden  of  color 
and  fragrance  for  which  she  had  longed  through 
all  those  bleak  winters  on  the  Atlantic  Coast. 

Pigs  on  the  earthen  floors?  Maybe.  Poverty 
among  the  ne'er-do-well?  No  doubt,  for  that  is 
found  everywhere.  But  there  never  was  here  the 
cold,  shivering  poverty  of  the  far  East,  of  that  she 
was  sure.  All  her  memories  of  it  had  been  of 
warmth  and  fragrance  and  music, — a  harmony 
she  had  come  back  to  seek. 

Her  eyes  closed,  and  the  men  lowered  their 
voices,  thinking  she  slept.  An  occasional  ques* 
tion  from  the  school  teacher  made  the  conversa- 

35 


Miss   Moccasins 

tion  general.  The  younger  man  had  moved  over 
into  the  Santa  Clara  valley  a  year  before,  but 
retained  some  herds  up  in  the  hills,  and  was 
making  a  trip  back  to  see  about  selling  them.  He 
was  to  leave  the  stage  at  old  Hermosa  Dam  and 
go  horseback  to  the  rancho  where  he  was  to  stop. 
The  older  man  had  an  interest  in  some  mining 
ventures  to  the  south,  and  had  been  down  looking 
over  the  country.  He  was  now  going  on  to  the 
end  of  the  stage  line,  ten  miles  beyond  the  Her- 
mosa. 

He  had  been  in  the  country  since  '57  and  was 
a  storehouse  of  reminiscences,  some  of  them  tragic, 
others  comic,  all  of  them  interesting. 

The  girl,  apparently  sleeping,  listened  to  his 
graphic  recitals  of  the  history  of  the  land,  and 
pictured  her  father  in  that  so  far-away  life.  She 
tried  to  see  the  land  and  the  people  as  he  had  seen 
them  when  the  Americans  were  yet  few  and  each 
rancheria  held  an  ever  ready  extra  horse  or  a  well 
filled  purse  for  the  chance  traveler  who  rested 
within  its  walls.  Ah,  the  beautiful  life  of  the 
people,  who  were  too  wise  to  waste  life  in  the 
making  of  money! 

"  And  that,"  concluded  the  historian  as  a  finale 
to  an  interesting  recital  of  local  interest,  "  that's 
how  the  old  Hermosa  reservoir  was  built;  a  thou- 
sand Indians,  they  say,  besides  the  Mexicans  and 
the  Spanish  guard.  The  stone  work  alone  is  won- 

36 


Miss   Moccasins 

derful,  considering  that  the  workmen  were 
untrained  and  had  never  known  what  work  was, — 
wonderful !  " 

"  The  padres  made  slaves  of  them ;  wasn't  that 
about  it?" 

"  I  reckon.  Their  work  shows  a  tremendous 
lot  of  power,  yet  there  is  no  record  of  the  work- 
man getting  anything  but  his  clothes  and  rations." 

"  I  always  heard,"  ventured  the  school  teacher, 
"  that  the  most  distinguishing  trait  of  an  Indian 
was  that  no  earthly  power  could  make  him  work." 

"  Then  the  padres  assailed  them  with  a  power 
either  heavenly  or  infernal,"  stated  the  old  man, 
"  for  they  certainly  did  work  in  this  country.  I 
guess  the  priests  first  scared  them  into  it;  told 
them  they'd  all  go  straight  to  hell  if  they  didn't, 
and  showed  them  lurid  pictures  of  the  torments 
there.  Oh,  they  use  the  same  tactics  with  other 
folks  than  Indians,  and  it  has  won  all  along  the 
line." 

Miss  Watson  gasped  a  little;  she  was  not  cer- 
tain that  the  interesting  old  times  were  not  almost 
blasphemous.  But  the  story  teller  was  jovially 
unconscious  of  her  shock,  and,  after  a  moment's 
thought,  he  continued: 

"But  they  were  wonderful  men,  those  same  old 
Mexican  or  Spanish  priests.  No  group  of  equal 
mentality  ever  put  foot  on  American  territory,  no 
matter  what  country  they  sailed  from.  And  it 

37 


Miss   Moccasins 

wasn't  all  hard  labor  and  slavery  they  enforced, 
not  by  a  long  sight.  They  had  their  feast  days 
and  junketings  and  barbecues  on  all  sorts  of  occa- 
sions. Why,  when  the  water  was  turned  into  the 
flumes  from  this  same  old  Hermosa  Dam  there 
was  a  festival  of  a  week,  so  the  older  Mexicans 
and  Indians  tell,  a  celebration  in  the  church,  high 
jinks  generally,  and  the  blessing  of  the  water  as 
it  reached  each  station  in  its  twenty-mile  run.1' 

"  Queer  folks,  they  were,"  commented  the  other 
man.  "  We  Americans  get  as  much  work  done, 
but  dispense  with  that  sort  of  fandangoes." 

'  Yes,  we  do,"  assented  the  old-timer,  slowly. 
'*  We  do.  Yet  it  always  seems  to  me  that  their 
sort  of  habits  and  customs  belong  by  right  to  this 
land.  You  younger  men  may  not  feel  it,  but  the 
stamp  of  the  Spaniard  is  indelible  here  to  the  older 
folks.  The  land  will  never  belong  to  the  Ameri- 
can as  it  did  to  the  padres — never.  The  Ameri- 
cans and  the  other  foreign  element  make  money 
here  of  course,  but  they  are  so  many  blots  on  the 
landscape.  The  fact  that  I  am  one  of  the  blots 
doesn't  affect  my  vision  any." 

The  girl  listening  felt  herself  liking  the  speaker. 
He  pictured  her  ideal  California  before  the 
coming  of  the  colonists,  and  the  incongruities. 
He  spoke  with  sympathy  and  conviction: — but  his 
conviction  had  also  been  very  apparent  when  he 

38 


Miss   Moccasins 

discoursed  of  the  Barretts  on  the  platform  of  the 
junction,  and  that  memory  hardened  her  heart. 

It  was  two  o'clock  when  the  stage  reached 
Berkley's  rancho  and  the  steaming  horses  were  led 
away,  while  Mrs.  Berkley,  with  the  help  of  two 
Chinamen,  served  the  long-waiting  dinner. 

It  was  a  space  for  relaxation  and  usually  the 
further  opportunity  for  acquaintanceship  between 
the  outside  and  inside  passengers.  But  while  the 
rest  chatted  and  exchanged  information  of  a  local 
nature — mainly  in  reference  to  the  late  rains  and 
their  disastrous  floods — the  girl  walked  alone 
through  the  rancho  garden,  responsive  to  the  warm 
tingle  of  springtime  in  the  blood,  the  soft  kiss  of 
the  wind  on  her  cheek,  and  the  springing  green  of 
daffodils  at  her  feet.  A  yellow  jasmine  was  put- 
ting out  its  first  venture  in  color,  where  it  was 
trained  over  the  south  wall,  and  hyacinths  were 
thrusting  upward  their  faintly  tinted  spikes  of 
pink. 

From  the  porch  came  whiffs  of  tobacco  smoke 
and  voices.  The  old-timers  were  discoursing  of 
the  freshets  and  the  havoc  they  created, — boiling 
caldrons  in  some  of  the  canons,  and  two  bridges 
put  out  of  business  by  them.  The  driver  con- 
fessed that  he  never  felt  dead  sure  about  any  of 
the  bridges  except  the  one  at  the  old  Hermosa. 

"  That's  all  right,  you  bet,"  he  remarked.  "  I 
wish  I  was  as  sure  of  the  Darrett  dam  at  the  new 

39 


Miss   Moccasins 

works.  That  thing  was  started  wrong  in  the  first 
place ;  never  even  went  down  to  hard  rock.  Leigh- 
ton  saw  it  was  no  good  when  he  started  in  to  run 
the  Hermosa.  He  stopped  it  right  there  and 
prosecuted  the  contractors.  But  Darrett — well, 
he's  only  tinkering  it  up  enough  to  boom  the  place 
for  sale.  He  don't  care  a  Continental  if  it  sweeps 
the  Hermosa  valley  the  day  after  the  deed  is 
made.  It's  mighty  shaky  and  a  few  rains  like  that 
of  last  week's " 

"  I  would  not  be  so  uneasy  about  the  rains  as 
about  the  snows  up  there,"  said  Berkley,  with  a 
motion  of  his  pipe  towards  the  mountains. 
u  Notice  the  mud  in  the  creeks;  that's  not  from 
rains.  It's  the  hot  sun  on  that  snow  for  the  past 
three  days — too  hot  for  the  season.  Well,  the 
new  Hermosa  drains  the  south  side  of  that  range, 
— a  bad  combination  !  If  I  had  business  along  that 
valley,  I'd  keep  as  clear  of  the  water  courses  as 
the  business  would  let  me." 

4  You're  a  nice  Job's  comforter,"  remarked 
the  driver,  "  considering  that  I  have  to  follow 
that  canon  for  three  miles  every  other  day  or  quit 
the  road.  Damn  Darrett  and  his  tinkered  reser- 
voir! " 

'  That's  the  sort  of  blessings  will  follow  the 
turning  on  of  the  water  in  the  new  Hermosa," 
remarked  the  older  man,  turning  to  his  companion 

40 


Miss   Moccasins 

of  the  stage.  "  Not  exactly  an  improvement  on 
the  fandangoes  of  the  padres,  is  it?  " 

"  Hardly.  And  you  all  appear  to  be  of  one 
mind  about  Darrett.  Where  is  he  from?" 

"  Oh,  a  pretty  fellow,  out  of  a  picture  book!  " 
said  the  driver,  sarcastically,  as  he  moved  off  to 
meet  the  fresh  horses  that  were  being  led  from  the 
stable. 

"  A  fancy  sort  of  caballero,  you  know,  Don 
Felipe  Darrett ;  one  of  those  slim,  black  devils,  all 
eyes  and  guitar  songs.  Always  did  seem  to  me 
like  he  ought  to  wear  a  cloak  and  hat  with  a 
feather  in  it.  But  some  fool  women  like  that  sort 
of  cattle,  and  he  got  the  richest  girl  in  the  coun- 
try.— Won  in  a  walk,  too !  " 

"  He's  from  over  by  the  river,"  said  Berkley. 
"  Had  a  little  pocket  rancho  over  there  some- 
where. Had  it  left  to  him,  I  guess.  I  heard  he 
lost  it  lately  in  some  deal." 

"  I  remember  that  place,"  said  the  older  man. 
"  One  of  the  prettiest  I've  ever  seen.  John  Dar- 
rett took  a  leaf  from  the  padre's  books,  built  an 
adobe  over  there,  sunk  a  well,  and  lived  for  a  few 
years  like  Adam  in  Eden.  He  had  sailed  the 
world  around  and  settled  at  last  in  what  he  con- 
sidered the  garden  spot  of  the  earth.  I  remember 
he  called  it  '  Treasure  Trove.'  After  his  wife 
died,  he  only  lasted  a  few  years,  and  now  you  say 
this  young  cub  has  got  rid  of  the  place?  As  you 

41 


Miss  Moccasins 

say,   it  was  a  sort  of  pocket  rancho — no   great 
amount  of  land — but  it  was  a  beauty!  " 

"  So  is  Hermosa,"  remarked  Berkley.  "  But 
he  will  get  rid  of  that,  too,  unless  some  one  stops 
him." 

"  Gambler?  "  asked  the  stranger. 

"  Worse ; — he's  a  fool  speculator,  who  relies  on 
what  he  calls  his  own  judgment;  though  he  does 
gamble,  too." 

"  But  it  is  his  wife  owns  Hermosa,  old  Gon- 
zales'  daughter,"  stated  the  old-timer;  "  he  has  no 
title  to  that." 

"But  he  owns  the  woman,"  retorted  Berkley.1 
'  That  seems  Darrett's  strong  point, — to  deal  with 
women,  when  possible,  instead  of  men.  I  did 
hear  that  little  l  Treasure  Trove  '  rancho,  near 
Santa  Barbara,  was  partly  owned  by  a  half-sister 
of  his  in  the  East,  but  I  guess  she  has  taken  Don 
Felipe's  measure,  and  keeps  her  distance.  Any- 
way, he  managed  the  deal — just  as  he  will  man- 
age Hermosa,  if  he  is  not  stopped." 

11  Can't  his  wife  put  on  the  brakes?  " 

"  In  Frisco  most  of  the  time.  This  section  is 
too  slow  for  her.  She  needs  a  brakeman  her- 
self." 

"  Mac  Leigh  ton  could  and  would  put  a  spoke 
in  their  wheels  if  he  was  here,"  said  the  old-timer. 
"  I  don't  know  of  any  one  else  that  could.  Old 

42 


Miss  Moccasins 

Gonzales  left  him  a  lot  of  power,  and  the  time 
limit  has  not  expired." 

"  Leigh  ton  got  back  from  Mexico  to-day,  and 
had  breakfast  here,"  remarked  Berkley.  '  Joe 
Galbraith  had  met  him  with  horses  at  the  junction, 
and  he  was  rushing  across  at  a  double  quick.  Joe's 
been  running  his  rancho  for  him." 

"  I  told  you  he'd  have  a  reliable,"  said  the  old- 
timer,  "  and  Felipe  Darrett  had  better  crow  small 
for  a  while,  if  Leighton  has  struck  the  Hermosa 
valley;  for  Leighton  has  the  luck!  " 

The  girl  in  the  garden  heard  no  more,  for  the 
horses  were  being  hitched  to  the  stage.  In  a  few 
moments  she  would  have  to  join  the  idly  gossip- 
ing crowd  and  listen  for  four — six  hours  to  the 
voices  echoing  and  agreeing  in  the  curses  heaped 
on  one  name. 

Not  a  word  of  dissent  had  been  uttered  in  his 

defense.     The  opinion  appeared  to  be  unanimous; 

the  name  of  Darrett  was  one  not  only  hated  but 

despised.     She  had  the  courage  to  fight  hate  and 

it  under  foot, — but  contempt! 

For  one  moment  she  had  a  wild  desire  to  let 
the  stage  go  without  her,  to  keep  away  from  that 
one  regularly  recurring  topic.  No  one  expected 
her;  for  a  day,  even  a  week,  she  could  stay  here 
by  this  p-arden  and  prepare  herself  to  face  the 
new  conditions.  No  one  would  know.  The  peo- 
ple might  call  her  Miss  Ogden,  as  the  school 

43 


Miss  Moccasins 

teacher  had  done,  and  she  need  not  correct  them* 
for  she  would  probably  never  travel  that  road 
again.  It  was  a  lovely  place,  and  here  in  the 
garden 

But  as  she  looked  about  her  her  eyes  filled  with 
tears.  The  garden !  All  her  California  dreams  had 
centered  around  a  garden,  one  in  which  a  rose  tree 
grew  much  as  this  one  by  the  wall,  one  in  which 
color  and  fragrance  ran  riot.  And  ever  among  the 
poppies  and  roses  she  had  gone  hand-in-hand  with 
the  slender  boy,  whose  eyes  were  of  black  velvet 
in  their  softness,  whose  words  were  softest  Span- 
ish, and  who  accepted  her  baby  worship  with  the 
caresses  of  conscious  superiority.  She  was  his  lit- 
tle slave  to  fetch  and  carry,  content  if  he  patted 
her  hair  or  kissed  her  cheek,  and  wildly  happy 
during  the  hours  when  they  could  evade  the  coffee- 
colored  Luigo  or  her  nurse,  Dolores,  and  sally 
forth  on  quests  of  adventure  without  the  orange 
grove  or  even  up  the  hill  where  the  vineyard 
was. 

"  All  ready,  Miss,"  called  Mrs.  Berkley  from 
the  porch.  '  The  gentlemen  have  walked  ahead, 
but  the  stage  is  waiting." 

The  girl  dashed  the  mist  from  her  lashes  and 
ran  up  the  steps. 

"  It's  a  long,  rough  ride  to  Hermosa,"  contin- 
ued the  woman,  amiably,  "  but  the  sooner  it's 
over,  the  sooner  you  can  rest." 

44 


Miss   Moccasins 

the  sooner  it  is  over."  And  the  next 
she  had  her  old  seat  in  the  corner  and  the 
horses  had  lunged  forward  for  their  pull  up  the 
hill. 

She  and  Miss  Watson  had  the  inside  to  them- 
selves. 

"  You  look  pale  and  sort  of  sick,"  said  the  lit- 
tle woman.  "  Aren't  you  well?  " 

'"  I  suppose  I'm  getting  tired;  I've  been  travel- 
ing for  a  week." 

"  My !  I  took  it  in  easy  stages  when  I  came 
out  from  Ohio.  I  seemed  to  have  either  friends 
or  relatives  scattered  all  along." 

"  I  have  neither,"  said  the  girl,  as  she  sank 
back  in  the  corner  with  closed  eyes.  A  little  later 
she  straightened  up  and  unlaced  her  tan  boots. 

"  They  were  all  right  back  East,"  she 
remarked,  "  but  they  seem  choking  me  now, — too 
high  and  warm." 

"  Why  don't  you  put  on  the  Indian  shoes  for 
the  rest  of  the  ride?  It  is  warm  to-day,  and  you 
look  tired  out  all  at  once.  Your  skirt  is  plenty 
long  enough  to  hide  them  from  the  men  when  you 
are  sitting  down." 

The  girl  made  a  gesture  of  disdain. 
'  The   men !      I'd   festoon   myself  with   bead- 
work,  for  all  I'd  care  for  them.     Gossiping  old 
women !  " 

In  a  trice  the  tan  boots  were  tied  in  a  bundle 

45 


Miss  Moccasins 

by  their  own  laces  and  thrust  under  the  seat,  and 
the  gay  moccasins  with  their  trimming  of  crimson 
and  green  were  on  her  feet. 

Then  with  a  little  reckless  laugh  she  un- 
buckled the  brown  leather  belt  and  fastened  the 
Indian  girdle  in  its  place.  While  the  necklace  of 
turquoise  was  tied  around  her  neck  by  its  red  cot- 
ton strings. 

"  A  little  incongruous,  perhaps,"  she  conceded, 
"  but  the  old  man  is  right;  we  really  are  a  discord 
in  the  land  of  the  Mission  fathers,  and  a  trifle 
more  or  less  makes  no  difference.  He  is  right. 
It  was  not  for  our  sort  they  built  great  viaducts 
and  planted  vineyards.  I  wonder  their  ghosts 
don't  walk  and  uproot  trees  or  tumble  down  rocks 
on  our  highways." 

Miss  Watson  looked  her  disapproval  of  any 
such  retaliation  on  their  part. 

"  Oh,  I  hardly  think  they  would  do  that,  even 
if  they  could,  though  they  did  make  slaves  of  the 
Indians."  Then,  after  a  little  pause,  she  added,  re- 
flectively, "  I  am  not  especially  alarmed  about 
rocks  or  trees,  but  those  men  did  make  me  nervous 
about  the  Hermosa  dam.  They  say  that  that  man 
Darrett  had  the  workmen's  cabins  put  up  below 
it  instead  of  above  it.  Of  course,  1  know  nothing 
about  such  construction,  but " 

"  Neither   do   I,"   interrupted   the   girl,    "  nor 

46 


Miss  Moccasins 

want  to !  I  was  glad  the  men  walked  ahead,  that 
we  might  be  free  of  the  subject." 

"  It  did  seem  to  interest  them  a  lot,"  acknowl- 
edged Miss  Watson.  "  You  see  the  Gonzales 
family,  so  far  as  money  goes, — and  it  goes  a  long 
ways, — were  the  big  folks  of  this  section,  and 
when  this  Darrett  got  the  daughter,  it  made  a 
sort  of  sensation,  I  guess.  And  the  new  dam, — 
yes,  I  heard  some  talk  of  that  over  in  Kern 
County,  but " 

"  Oh,"  breathed  the  girl  between  her  teeth,  as 
she  turned  her  face  to  the  cushion. 

"  Sure  you're  not  sick? "  queried  the  school 
teacher,  looking  at  her  kindly.  "  No?  Well,  Fm 
glad  to  hear  it,  for  you  do  look  pale.  There ! 
we've  caught  up  with  the  men  at  last.  And  there 
is  one  comfort  we  can  take  to  ourselves:  all  the 
ideas  concerning  that  dam  won't  affect  the  stone- 
work of  it  a  mite.  And  none  of  us  will  die  till 
our  time  comes!  " 

The  girl  stubbornly  kept  her  face  to  the  win- 
dow as  the  men  climbed  in,  panting  and  amiable. 
They  had  spoiled  the  beauty  of  her  day  for  her, 
and  she  did  not  mean  to  give  them  the  benefit  of 
the  light  of  her  countenance. 

Her  heart  leaped  up  as  they  passed  a  group  of 
horsemen,  who  swung  their  sombreros  and  called 
a  greeting  to  the  driver  as  the  coach  passed.  How 

47 


Miss   Moccasins 

fine  and  strong  and  free  they  looked!  That  was 
her  California. 

Once  a  solitary  rider  loped  far  across  a  rolling 
hill  and  out  of  sight  in  a  belt  of  timber.  Her  eyes 
followed  him  enviously;  that  was  the  life  she  had 
come  back  for :  To  ride  care  free  over  the  ranges ! 
— to  stay  out  alone  under  the  stars,  if  she  chose! 
— to  get  away  from  the  discords  and  conversations 
of  the  crowded  places!  And  all  she  had  gained 
was  a  space  in  a  crowded  stage,  where  she  had 
to  be  careful  that  her  feet  did  not  preempt  the 
space  of  her  neighbor,  and  where  she  feigned  sleep 
to  avoid  converse,  and  shrank  from  hearing  her 
own  name  mentioned. 

At  old  Hermosa,  where  Pedro,  the  uncombed, 
kept  the  stables,  the  horses  were  changed  and  bad 
news  awaited  them. 

The  bridge  at  Quartz  Creek,  two  miles  ahead, 
had  gone  down.  The  stage  would  have  to  make  a 
detour  to  reach  the  settlement.  The  driver  used 
some  reckless  language  and  advised  the  ladies  to 
stay  over  with  Pedro's  wife,  Maria.  In  the  old 
days  the  dwelling  there  had  been  a  favorite  road- 
house,  but  the  accommodations  had  dwindled 
until  the  stable  was  the  only  remnant  living  up  to 
its  former  reputation. 

Miss  Watson  decided  she  would  just  about  as 
soon  go  to  the  bottom  of  Quartz  Creek,  while  the 
girl  watched  one  of  the  passengers,  who  secured 

48 


Miss  Moccasins 

a  horse  from  Pedro  and  went  loping  away  alone 
across  the  range. 

"  He  is  one  of  the  Hermosa  foremen,  lives  this 
side  of  the  dam,"  said  the  driver  in  reply  to  her 
questions.  "  It's  only  five  miles  across  there  to 
the  settlement,  but  wheels  will  have  to  go  a  full 
dozen  to  reach  it  to-night,"  he  added,  ruefully. 

"  You  mean  it  is  only  five  miles  across  there  to 
Hermosa  ?  " 

"  We  are  on  Hermosa  ground  now;  it  is  a  sort 
of  a  triangle  and  this  is  one  of  the  corners.  Over 
there  " — and  he  pointed  with  his  whip — "  is  the 
Hacienda,  as  they  call  it  here,  the  homestead,  you 
know.  Most  of  this  section  is  Mexican  and  every- 
body uses  old  style  names.  How  far?  Oh,  about 
four  miles.  The  settlement  is  more  to  the  right. 
Yes,"  in  reply  to  another  query,  "  in  the  saddle 
it  would  be  straight  riding, — no  trick  at  all.  But 
there  is  a  bluff  wheels  can't  go  over,  and  I've  got 
to  go  the  circle.  If  you  ladies  can  stay  over  here 
to-night,  the  other  coach  will  take  you  on  in  the 
morning.  I  should  advise  it,  for  there  is  no  telling 
what  we  may  meet  up  in  the  gulch  of  Quartz 
Creek." 

"Thanks — yes,  I'll  stop,"  said  the  girl,  step- 
ping from  the  stage,  too  elated  at  being  free  to 
remember  the  bizarre  Indian  trappings,  in  such 
striking  contrast  to  her  trim  traveling  costume. 

"And  you,  Miss?" 

49 


Miss  Moccasins 

"Oh— I  couldn't— indeed,  I  couldn't!"  pro- 
tested Miss  Watson,  a  vision  of  babies,  pigs  and 
puppies,  heightened  by  the  smiling  presence  of  the 
corsetless  Maria  in  the  doorway,  arising  in  her 
mind  at  the  thought  of  the  Mexican  menage. 
"I  couldn't  eat  a  bite,  you  know;  I'm  sure  I 
couldn't.  So " 

"  All  right," — and  the  crack  of  the  whip  cut  her 
sentence  short;  the  rest  of  her  reasons  were 
drowned  in  the  clatter  of  hoofs  and  wheels. 

But  a  moment  later  she  thrust  her  head  out  of 
the  carriage  window  and  waved  her  hands  fran- 
tically. 

"  Your  shoes !  "  she  screamed,  above  the  racket 
and  rumble.  "  Make  him  stop  till  you  get  your 
satchel  and  your  shoes!  " 

"  Keep  them  for  me !  "  called  the  girl,  who  was 
laughing  at  Miss  Watson's  dismay  and  her  hyster- 
ical attempt  to  find  the  shoes  under  the  seat  and 
make  herself  heard  at  the  same  time.  But  a  turn 
in  the  road  carried  the  travelers  from  sight,  and 
left  their  late  companion  alone  by  the  roadside, 
conscious  of  the  amazed  stares  of  Pedro  and  the 
stable  boy.  The  motherly  Maria  meanwhile  hov- 
ered between  a  smile  of  welcome  and  a  frown  of 
consternation  at  this  apparition  of  the  strange  Se- 
norita  who  had  elected  to  honor  their  roof,  and 
who  wore  the  Indian  shoes  and  laughed  like  a 

50 


Miss  Moccasins 

child  when  the  bend  in  the  road  hid  the  stage- 
coach. 

She  felt  so  free  again,  so  much  her  very  own 
self!  And  she  stretched  out  her  arms  with  a 
great  sigh  of  relief  as  she  turned  smilingly  to  the 
amazed  Pedro. 

It  was  a  curious  colloquy  they  hem  there  in  the 
open  road.  Pedro  protesting,  almost  prostrating 
himself  in  his  desire  to  impress  her  with  the  fact 
that  his  house  was  hers,  his  family  at  her  disposal,' 
he,  himself,  Pedro  Lorde,  at  her  feet;  but  j 

And  the  Sefiorita,  between  her  childish  memories 
of  Spanish  and  the  Mexican's  musical  English,! 
finally  made  him  comprehend  that  she  would  accept' 
of  the  hospitality  of  the  Lorde  establishment  to  the 
extent  of  a  cup  of  coffee — if  it  was  made  quickly; 
and  after  that  a  saddle, — some  sort,  any  sort  of 
a  saddle, — and  a  horse,  or  even  a  mule,  if  nothing 
better  offered,  that  the  Sefiorita  might  please  her- 
self by  riding  in  the  cool  of  the  evening  across  the 
range  to  Hermosa. 

In  vain  he  protested  that  the  horses  of  the 
stagecoach  were  tired — were  not  his  to  hire — were 
never  used  to  feel  any  but  the  weight  of  the  work 
harness  on  their  backs.  Maria  was  smiling  at  her 
husband's  futile  excuses,  for  the  Senorita  followed 
him  to  the  stable,  insisting,  arguing,  and  laugh- 
ing. 

It  was  true  that  at  first  glance  through  the  sta- 


Miss  Moccasins 

ble  door  only  the  work  horses  could  be  seen;  but 
one  gleam  of  a  yellow  mane,  tossed  impetuously  in 
a  far  stall,  made  the  girl  clap  her  hands  in  laugh- 
ing triumph. 

"  Ah — ha !  You  have  it, — the  saddle  horse 
there !  Yet  you  would  see  me  walk  so  far,  so  far 
in  the  night?" 

"  But  the  Senor  Leighton,  if  he  should  come 
and  his  horse  be  not  there  for  the  saddle?  Ay — 
yi !  if  it  should  not  be !  "  And  a  gesture  of  Pe- 
dro's expressive  hands  suggested  nothing  less  than 
the  instant  annihilation  of  all  concerned. 

Leighton !  Only  one  other  name  had  she  heard 
so  often  that  day! 

Leighton !  The  man  who  controlled  the  people 
as  he  chose,  the  man  whom  good  luck  followed ! 
Leighton,  who  retained  some  sort  of  tenure  on 
the  estate  of  Hermosa,  and  who  would  make  mas- 
ter and  mistress  of  it  listen  to  his  dictation !  The 
luck  of  this  fine  Senor  Leighton  whom  she  detest- 
ed already!  She  would  let  him  see  she  had  some 
luck  of  her  own! 

"  The  Senor  Leighton  would  not  refuse  the 
horse  to  a  lady  who  visits  the  Hermosa,  is  it  not 
so?"  she  demanded  of  the  open  eyed  Maria. 
"  Could  a  California  gentleman  refuse  so  slight  a 
favor?" 

There  were  further  protests,  followed  by  further 
arguments,  and  the  final  one  was  a  coin  pressed 


Miss  Moccasins 

in  Maria's  hand — really  the  key  of  speech  to  her. 
For  at  once  there  was  a  torrent  of  expostulation 
in  rapid  Spanish  for  Pedro  to  bear  up  under,  and 
energetic  denunciation  of  his  frantic  appeals  to  the 
saints  to  defend  him  from  the  wrath  to  come  if 
El  Diablo  was  not  safe  back  in  the  stable  when  the 
owner  or  the  Senor  Braith  would  stop  for  him  two 
hours  hence.  And  when  the  argument  reached 
that  stage  the  Senorita  found  a  second  coin  in  the 
little  brown  bag  at  her  belt,  and  Pedro  succumbed. 

She  got  the  horse  and  an  old  Mexican  side-sad- 
dle from  which  many  little  leather  tassels  and 
knotted  buckskin  strings  dangled. 

The  girl's  eyes  glowed  dark  with  excitement. 
After  all,  the  ending  of  her  day  was  to  be  perfect ! 
To  ride  alone  in  the  dark  across  the  ranges;  to  go 
her  own  gait  and  choose  her  own  way — what  joy 
there  was  in  the  prospect! 

All  the  discords  of  the  day  were  put  aside.  Of 
course  they  would  thrust  themselves  forward 
again,  and  she  would  have  to  meet  them  just  as 
she  would  have  to  meet  the  owner  of  the  horse 
some  day.  But  just  now,  this  beautiful  first  night 
in  California,  she  would  choose  her  trail  far  from 
unpleasant  thoughts! 

So  she  recklessly  decided  while  she  drank  the 
really  good  cup  of  coffee  prepared  by  Maria  and 
listened  to  the  warning  expostulations  of  Pedro 

53 


Miss  Moccasins 

and  his  assistant  as  they  fastened  the  heavily 
flapped  old  saddle  to  El  Diablo's  unwilling  back. 

"  A  demon  of  a  horse,  Senorita,  a  demon  out  of 
hell,  as  you  see !  "  he  gasped,  as  he  led  the  im- 
patient animal  into  the  yard.  "  Sandro  has  the 
bite  from  his  teeth,  and  I  have  almost  the  kick  from 
his  foot.  But  he  carry  you,  Senorita,  sure!  He 
carry  you  si  you  keep  on  his  back!  " 

For  one  moment  the  girl  hesitated  as  she  saw 
what  a  really  superb  animal  it  was  she  had  dared 
to  confiscate.  Only  in  pictures  had  she  seen  such 
a  tawny  coppery  coat  and  such  a  silken  mane  and 
tail  of  silver.  Memory  brought  to  her  a  canvas 
in  some  Eastern  gallery  of  art,  a  Moorish  group 
in  all  the  glow  of  Oriental  contrast,  with  such  a 
horse  decked  with  jeweled  trappings  in  the  center 
of  the  picture.  Some  queen  viewed  some  conquest 
from  its  back,  while  the  horse  looked  more  royal 
than  the  crowned  woman.  And  the  one  led  out  for 
her  use  by  Pedro  looked  like  twin  brother  to  the 
beauty  of  the  picture. 

With  all  her  heart  she  envied  the  owner  of  the 
superb  creature,  yet  for  that  one  instant  she  hesi- 
tated. 

"  I  think  si  you  ride  him,  you  so  ver  quick — 
no?"  ventured  Maria  from  the  door  where  she 
had  fled  as  the  prancing,  impatient  animal  whirled 
and  protested  at  it  unusual  garnishings. 

"And  if  the  owner  should  come?"  said  the 

54 


Miss  Moccasins 

girl,  with  belated  compunction.  Had  it  been  an 
ugly  beast,  she  would  have  felt  no  qualm. 

"  I  been  think  like  that,"  stated  Pedro,  philo- 
sophical Pedro,  now,  with  a  coin  safe  in  his  pocket! 
"  I  been  think  maybe  how  Sefior  Leigh  ton  make 
the  big  damn  row  si  I  no  give  El  Diablo  to  the 
Senorita  si  she  ask.  Me,  I  no  am  to  blame  si  the 
stage  no  make  the  safe  trip  at  all!  That  Creek 
canon  ver  bad  place.  I  maybe  help  save  the  soul 
from  hell  si  I  no  send  the  Senorita  by  the  stage. 
When  Sefior  Leighton,  he  know  all  that,  he  no 
make  the  big  row  at  all,  not  when  he  see  the 
Senorita !  " 

The  girl  had  been  patting  the  neck  of  the  horse, 
smoothing  the  silvery  mane,  making  friends  with 
him  as  she  could,  and  giving  little  heed  to  Pedro's 
conviction  that  he  possibly  had  kept  her  a  little 
longer  from  the  hades  of  the  good  Christian. 

"  Tell  me  the  way,"  she  said,  slipping  her  hand 
caressingly  along  the  creature's  neck  until  she 
grasped  the  bridle. 

"  That  beast,  he  know  the  way — El  Diablo," 
said  Pedro  easily.  He  waved  his  hand  across  an 
open  stretch  of  land  where  a  faint  cattle  path  was 
discernible  for  a  few  rods  and  then  disappeared 
entirely.  "  It  no  is  a  road,  but  he  go  straight  to 
find  the  slide  by  the  creek — two  mile,  then  you 
have  good  road,  ver  good.  Little  houses  there — 

55 


Miss   Moccasins 

many;  big  Hacienda  over  hill — by  vineyard — no 
get  dark  yet  at  all.  You  see !  " 

She  saw,  and  the  next  instant  was  in  the  saddle, 
striving  under  difficulties  to  adjust  herself  while 
El  Diablo  indulged  in  little  cat  jumps  sideways 
as  protests  against  the  one-sided  burden  and  the 
unaccustomed  skirts. 

Twice  around  the  yard  he  indulged  in  this  ver- 
itable devil's  dance,  while  Pedro  swore  and  Maria 
appealed  to  the  Virgin,  and  the  strange  Senorita 
laughed,  her  eyes  glowing  with  excitement. 

Twice  she  let  him  have  his  own  pleasure  in  his 
protest,  which  would  have  seemed  vicious  except 
for  its  beauty.  But  when  the  circle  brought  him 
again  opposite  the  open  gate  and  the  praying 
Maria,  she  turned  him  with  a  quick  firm  hand 
toward  the  road  and  the  range  beyond. 

"  Now,"  she  said,  with  a  little  lift  of  the  bridle, 
a  little  touch  of  the  moccasined  heel;  and  then  El 
Diablo,  the  beautiful,  shot  forward  like  a  rocket. 
A  moment  later,  the  wind  was  whistling  through 
the  silky  mane,  and  the  girl  felt  her  heart  beat  in 
harmony  with  the  flying  hoofs. 

At  last,  at  last  she  was  having  her  longed  for 
California  home-coming! 


IV 

A  RIDE  WITH  EL  DIABLO. 

Something  of  her  own  elation  communicated 
itself  to  the  horse  after  his  first  wondering  spurt. 
He  settled  into  an  easy,  contented  gait,  and  ran 
for  pure  joy,  while  the  girl  laughed  aloud,  and 
bestowed  upon  him  caressings  and  cajolings.  The 
odor  of  the  springing  grass  was  in  their  nostrils, 
for  the  dews  of  the  growing  dusk  diffused  fra- 
grance. 

The  sun  had  gone  down,  and  the  sky  had  faded 
from  glowing  crimson  to  the  opalescent  tints  of 
twilight.  Far  to  the  south  there  was  yet  a  band  of 
yellow  along  the  horizon,  and  high  above  and 
straight  ahead  shone  one  star  and  the  golden  sickle 
of  the  new  moon. 

Some  verses  she  had  read  somewhere  came 
singing  in  her  ears,  keeping  time  to  the  hoof  beats, 
and  she  sang  them  joyously  as  she  rode. 

They  had  covered  two  miles,  and  Diablo  had 
settled  into  a  long  swinging  lope.  The  girl  had 
chanted  the  verses  to  the  swing  of  his  stride,  and 
from  that  slightly  monotonous  repetition,  she 
broke  into  a  tilting  love  song  ringing  clear  and 
high  over  the  rolling  uplands. 

El  Diablo  pricked  up  his  ears  in  amazement  at 

57 


Miss   Moccasins 

this  new  kind  of  rider,  and  then,  evidently  approv- 
ing, tossed  his  beautiful  head  and  forged  onward 
toward  the  scrubby  growth  marking  the  edge  of 
the  field  and  the  descent  of  the  creek  road  below. 

But  in  the  midst  of  the  song  his  ears  suddenly 
pointed  meaningly,  and  he  sent  a  loud  whinny  in 
response  to  some  sound  ahead. 

Quickly  the  girl  tightened  the  grip  on  the  bridle 
and  peered  ahead,  for  he  plainly  expressed  a  desire 
to  break  into  a  run.  Straight  ahead  was  a  decliv- 
ity, she  could  not  see  how  deep  or  how  steep,  but 
she  could  guess  at  its  width,  for  the  opposite  wall 
loomed  up  against  the  sky  line,  a  dark  chaparral 
covered  bank. 

She  brought  Diablo,  champing  and  impatient, 
to  a  standstill,  while  she  strove  to  see  ahead  in 
the  gathering  dusk. 

Yes;  there  was  a  cattle  path  standing  along 
the  bluff,  the  "  slide  "  mentioned  by  Pedro,  and 
beyond  she  could  hear  the  gurgle  of  water.  Below 
there  somewhere  was  the  road  by  which  she  would 
pass  the  clustered  homes  of  the  workmen,  and 
farther  on  the  show  house  of  the  section,  the  Ha- 
cienda of  Hermosa. 

A  sound  like  the  echo  of  Diablo's  hoof-beats 
came  to  her  for  an  instant  as  she  halted,  but  when 
she  listened  more  intently  she  could  hear  only  the 
drumming  of  her  own  heart,  the  deep  breathing 

58 


Miss   Moccasins 

of  the  horse,  and  far  up  the  canon  the  sound  of 
wind  among  trees. 

"  It's  nothing,  Diablo,"  she  said,  straightening 
from  her  scrutiny  of  the  ground  ahead;  "  but  you 
must  slow  up,  old  boy,  or  your  shoes  will  be 
skates. — What's  that?" 

From  across  the  ravine  mingled  sounds  came 
to  her,  ominous,  threatening !  The  striking  of  iron 
on  shelving  rock,  the  crashing  of  stone  loosened 
and  tearing  its  way  down  a  declivity,  the  thud  as 
it  struck  the  boles  of  trees  in  its  course,  and  the 
splash  as  it  struck  the  water  below!  The  almost 
human  scream  of  a  horse  and  the  oath  of  a  man 
deepened  the  horror  for  a  moment,  and  then  there 
was  silence,  except  for  the  little  rustle  of  the 
loosened  gravel. 

On  the  brink  of  the  incline  she  held  Diablo, 
who  was  quivering  with  terror  of  something !  She 
tried  to  call,  and  could  not.  As  her  joy  had  lent 
him  wings,  so  now  did  his  terror  paralyze  her  so 
^effectually  that  twice  she  opened  her  lips  to  call, 
tand  each  time  they  closed  in  silence. 

It  was  not  really  the  half  of  a  minute,  but  it 
[seemed  hours  before  the  sound  of  the  man's  voice 
fcame  to  her  again, — breathless,  frenzied,  yet  with 
fa  note  of  exhaustion  in  it. 

"  Galbraith !  For  Christ's  sake,  Galbraith,  the 
"dam!" 

The  man  had  seen  the  horse  outlined  clearly 

59 


Miss   Moccasins 

against  the  dusk,  and  had  appealed  to  the  sup- 
posed rider. 

'  Wait,"    called  the   girl,   as   Diablo   plunged 
downward  in  the  dusk. 

"A  woman!  My  God!  Go  back!  Go  back, 
I  tell  you !  " 

"  I  guess  not,"  she  retorted,  and  the  rest  of  his 
warning  was  drowned  by  the  crash  of  her  own 
progress  down  the  slope,  for  El  Diablo  put  his 
feet  together  and  slid  where  the  incline  was  too 
steep  for  hurried  steps. 

They  landed  on  the  wagon  road  below.  Close 
beside  it  was  the  creek  and  on  trestles,  high  above 
and  hugging  the  opposite  wall,  was  a  dark  drip- 
ping flume,  stretching  into  the  dusk  each  way  until 
it  suggested  an  immense  snake  winding  its  way 
along  the  canon. 

In  the  road  where  he  had  dragged  himself 
through  the  water,  was  a  man  leaning  against  a 
huge  boulder,  and  down  his  cheek  a  dark  stain 
spread. 

He  lurched  forward,  reaching  out  a  warning 
hand,  and  she  noticed  even  in  her  excitement,  that 
one  foot  was  dragged  painfully  as  he  tried  to 
walk. 

"  Go  back !  I  thought  it  was  Galbraith  when 
I  called.  Nothing  can  save  them  now.  I  tried 
the  short  cut,  but  my  horse  went  down,  his  leg 
broken.  No  use  trying !  Get  to  the  high  ground — 

60 


Miss   Moccasins 

quick — quick!  Don't  you  understand?"  he  de- 
manded roughly,  as  she  stared  at  him  in  amaze- 
ment. "  Don't  you  hear  it?  "  And  he  pointed  up 
the  canon,  where  she  could  hear  only  the  swelling 
sound  of  wind  in  the  trees,  growing  louder  and 
louder.  "  It's  the  dam !  I  tried  to  warn  them  " — 
and  he  made  a  despairing  gesture  down  stream. 
"  I  can't  make  it  now,  and  they'll  go  under.  Oh 
my  God !  they'll  go  under !  " 

He  was  fairly  sobbing  at  his  own  impotence,  and 
the  girl  recoiled  under  the  shock  of  his  grief.  Yet 
on  the  instant  she  leaned  forward  and  closed  her 
fingers  tightly  on  his  shoulder. 

"  The  dam !  You  mean  the  Darrett  dam?  Phil 
Barrett's  work!  " 

"The  Darrett  dam?  Yes!  God!  If  cursing 
his  soul  into  hell  this  night  could  save  the  other 
poor  devils!  Do  you  hear  it?  That  water  is 
grinding  into  bed  rock  the  curse  of  Darrett's  name 
in  this  valley!  " 

The  girl's  face  could  not  have  been  whiter,  and 
she  gave  a  little  cry  as  she  wrested  the  horse  free 
from  his  restraining  hand. 

"We'll  see !  "  she  called  grimly.  "  Make  the 
bluff  if  you  can!  I'm  going  this  way!  " 

''  It's  death  to  you  !  "  cried  the  man,  wildly  striv- 
ing to  get  to  her.  But  she  held  up  her  hand  and 
motioned  him  to  the  bluff. 

"  It's  death  to  them  if  I  don't  make  it!  "  she 

61 


Miss   Moccasins 

answered,  and  the  next  instant  El  Diablo,  frantic 
with  terror,  was  running  like  mad  as  the  herald  of 
that  roaring,  grinding,  unseen  horror  of  the  Her- 
mosa  canon. 

The  man  uttered  a  cry  of  protest  and  then 
"  Good-bye — God  bless  you !  "  he  called. 

But  she  made  no  reply.  She  wanted  none  of  his 
blessings.  He  had  cursed  the  Darrett  name,  and 
she  had  listened  in  silence,  as  she  had  listened  all 
day.  Words  were  of  no  use  if  what  they  said  was 
true.  But  now,  now  she  would  show  them  what 
a  Darrett  could  do  to  atone! 

"  Oh  Dad,  Dad !  Come  with  me !  Come  with 
me !  "  she  moaned  as  she  leaned  low  in  the  saddle. 
And  the  trees  and  rocks  and  turns  in  the  road  sped 
past  them  like  a  dusky  panorama  of  moving  things, 
though  her  own  speed  appeared  all  too  slow. 
"  Good  horse — good  horse ! — for  Dad's  sake,  for 
the  lives  down  there — for  the  Darrett  name — oh, 
Diablo,  hurry — hurry — hurry !  " 

And  El  Diablo  deserved  his  name  in  that  race 
with  death,  for  it  was  like  a  devil  he  ran,  and  noth- 
ing more  earthly.  The  girl's  hair,  from  which  the 
hat  had  flown,  was  flecked  with  foam  as  she  leaned 
low  on  his  neck,  and  his  silvery  mane,  mingling 
with  her  own  loosened  tresses,  streamed  and 
whistled  in  the  wind.  In  the  wild  exultation  of  her 
intended  victory,  even  the  danger  was  deadened 
for  a  time.  All  the  West,  the  ideal  West,  of  her 

62 


Miss  Moccasins 

dreams,  was  in  her  heart  and  her  blood  as  she 
swept  through  the  death  trap  of  the  dark  canon. 
Then  a  light  twinkled  ahead — another — and  anoth- 
er! She  had  reached  the  houses  of  the  workmen! 
•Her  voice  sounded  in  her  own  ears  strange  and 
high  and  far  off  as  she  screamed  to  the  people 
where  the  lights  were. 

A  door  opened  and  the  workmen  saw  a  foam- 
covered  horse  dash  past,  and  a  girl  bent  low  on 
his  neck  who  turned  brilliant  eyes  and  a  white  face 
toward  them  as  she  called :  "  Run  ! — Run  for  your 
lives ! — The  dam  has  broken !  "  and  then  vanished 
around  ti.e  bend,  where  other  lights  twinkled,  and 
her  high  clear  tones  cut  through  the  dusk  as 
the  message  was  repeated  again  and  again  to  the 
startled  listeners  who,  with  prayers,  curses  and 
tears,  broke  for  the  bluff  like  stampeding  cattle, 
as  that  distant  rumbling,  like  imprisoned  thunder, 
followed  in  the  wake  of  the  strange  rider. 

A  group  of  men  at  a  blacksmith's  shop  checked 
their  talk  as  the  flying  hoofs  came  nearer  and  the 
scream  of  a  girl  sounded  in  their  ears.  A  few 
stepped  back  out  of  the  path  of  the  supposed  run- 
away. One  man  standing  beside  his  horse,  on 
which  a  shoe  had  just  been  fitted,  leaped  forward 
with  the  instinct  of  help;  but  lifting  her  hand,  she 
motioned  him  back,  and  called  her  warning. 

•'  The  dam !    The  girl  is  right,  hear  it !  "    And 

63 


Miss  Moccasins 

the  man  who  had  meant  to  stop  her,  swung  himself 
into  his  saddle. 

"  Let  the  horse  go !  Break  for  the  hill  with  us, 
Sefior!  "  called  one  of  the  men.  "  You  can't  out- 
run that!  " 

"What  about  the  girl?"  retorted  the  other; 
and  his  horse  gave  a  mighty  leap  under  the  spur, 
and  then  two  riders,  instead  of  one,  dashed  ahead 
of  that  wall  of  water  sweeping  ruin  in  its  way. 

He  knew,  as  the  girl  did  not,  that  the  greatest 
point  of  danger  was  not  where  the  workmen, — the 
wifeless  fellows, — shantied,  close  to  the  bluff,  but 
on  ahead  where  the  gulch  widened  and  where  the 
old  adobe  homes  of  the  Mexicans  were, — the 
farmers,  the  cattle  men  and  the  workers  of  the 
vineyards.  There  they  lived  with  their  wives  and 
their  children  in  the  dwellings,  where  many  of 
their  forefathers  had  lived  long  before  the  new 
people  had  come  to  the  land  and  roiled  the  waters 
of  the  harmless  arroya  where  the  women  washed 
the  clothes  and  the  children  played. 

Behind  him  the  sullen  roar  was  changing  its 
character.  Even  above  the  thud  of  flying  hoofs 
he  could  hear  the  crash,  crash  of  snapping  timbers 
as  the  flume  was  struck,  and  the  scattering  of  boul- 
ders tossed  by  the  flood  upon  the  solid  rocks  of  the 
canon's  wall.  Ahead  of  him  he  could  hear  the 
calls  of  the  girl, — she  had  reached  the  cabins! 

64 


Miss  Moccasins 

She  was  in  time  to  warn, — would  he  be  in  time  to 
help? 

Around  the  bend  of  the  road  he  dashed,  his 
horse  as  wild  as  the  human  beings  in  fear  of  the 
thunderous  enemy  gaining,  steadily  gaining! 

In  the  light  of  open  doors  he  could  see  figures 
fleeing  to  the  left  where  the  bluff  was  highest. 
Some  screamed,  others  were  silently  active,  one 
laughed  wildly  as  she  clutched  two  children  and 
dragged  them  to  the  bluff. 

And  in  the  middle  of  the  road  stood  El  Diablo 
with  a  crone-like  figure  hanging  to  his  bridle 
screaming  in  Spanish  some  plea  the  girl  could  not 
comprehend.  But  she  could  comprehend  the  dan- 
ger and  she  leaned  forward  trying  to  drag  the 
crazed  old  creature  up  behind  her,  while  El  Diablo 
fought  for  his  freedom  and  showed  a  plain  desire 
to  ride  over  all  obstacles. 

But  the  old  woman  refused  to  be  helped,  and 
breaking  away,  she  staggered,  screaming,  "  Back 
into  the  little  adobe  beside  the  road!  " 

The  man  caught  the  girl  by  the  arm  and  pointed 
ahead  and  to  the  left. 

"  Quick — around  that  point  and  to  the  top  of 
the  plateau ;  then  ride,  ride !  You  have  a  half  min- 
ute to  make  it !  " 

The  girl  stared  at  him  astounded;  until  his 
horse  had  ranged  side  by  side  with  hers  and  his 
hand  had  touched  her,  she  had  been  ignorant  of 

65 


Miss  Moccasins 

his  presence  there.  She  nodded  comprehendingly 
and  then  turned  her  eyes  toward  the  old  woman, 
who  was  running  from  the  door  with  a  tiny  bun- 
dle. 

"  Lift  her  behind  me !  "  she  entreated,  turning 
to  the  man. — "  Oh,  it  is  a  child — do — I  beg  of 
you — do !  " 

"  Senor!  "  screamed  the  old  woman  "  for  the 
love  of  God,  Senor !  .Carmenita  —  the  little 
mother !  " 

"Carmenita!" 

He  swung  out  of  the  saddle  as  he  spoke,  lifted 
the  child  into  the  girl's  outstretched  hands,  and 
set  the  little  old  woman  behind  her  on  El  Diablo, 
who  pranced  dangerously  until  the  mari  spoke  to 
him  words  of  command  in  Spanish. 

"  To  your  left — to  your  left — for  your  lives!  " 
he  shouted,  and  the  horse  leaped  forward  under 
its  triple  burden. 

Two  steps  took  him  to  the  door  of  the  dwelling. 
,A  \vhite  faced  girl  stared  at  him  with  wide,  black 
,'eyes  of  terror  from  the  low  bed  in  the  corner. 

''Senor  —  Senor  Braith  —  have  pity,"  she 
/moaned,  and  reached  out  pleading  arms  to  him. 

As  he  had  taken  the  babe,  so   he  lifted  the 

'mother,   wrapped  as   she  was   in  the  patchwork 

quilt.     An  instant  more  and  he  was  again  in  the 

saddle  and  his  powerful  animal  leaped  forward  as 

the  first  adobe  was  struck  by  the  moving  wall  of 

66 


Miss  Moccasins 

water,  rearing  its  averted  head  like  a  serpent  trail- 
ing its  path  of  death  between  the  hills. 

One  scream — the  scream  of  a  woman  in  mortal 
terror — came  back  to  him  as  his  horse  plunged  up 
the  steep  hill  to  the  left,  steep  enough  and  high 
enough  for  safety  if  El  Diablo  had  taken  it  quick- 
ly enough,  if  the  girl  rider  had  known  the  land 
and  had  made  no  detour  in  the  uncertain  dark. 

Even  as  he  thought  of  the  chances  against  her, 
his  own  horse  was  struck.  Its  hind  quarters  sank 
suddenly  as  if  its  back  had  been  broken.  A  shrill 
cry  of  agony  from  the  brute,  a  leap  of  the  rider 
from  the  saddle  forward  and  upward,  and  the 
next  moment  both  were  caught  and  tossed  like 
straws  on  the  roaring  waters. 


IN  THE  TRACK  OF  THE  FLOOD. 

Two  hours  later,  one  of  the  men  who  had  been 
of  the  group  at  the  blacksmith's  shop,  found  El 
Diablo  cropping  the  new  grass  of  the  plateau, 
his  satiny  coat  splashed  by  the  clay  colored  water 
of  the  ravine,  his  silvery  mane  and  tail  silvery 
no  longer.  But  with  the  excepting  such  tarnished 
glories,  he  appeared  not  at  all  damaged  by  the 
enemy  he  had  barely  escaped. 

"  It  was  not  a  spirit  then,"  said  the  Mexicans, 
crossing  themselves.  "  It  was  truly  El  Diablo — a 
living  animal  that  made  the  run  to  save  us  all! 
But  who  rode  him?  What  living  woman  has  ever 
been  on  the  back  of  El  Diablo?  " 

The  men  who  had  not  seen  the  flood  and  its 
herald  did  not  believe  in  the   strange  unknown 
rider.    Where  could  she  have  come  from?    Who1 
had  ever  before  seen  such  a  girl  in  that  valley?" 

No  one  had, — that  was  quite  true.  And  the 
women  gathering  their  children  about  them  (nor 
one  had  been  lost  in  that  war  of  waters)  prayed 
each  to  her  own  patron  saint.  And  for  that  awful 
night  and  many  a  day  after,  their  special  guardian" 
angel  was  photographed  on  their  mental  vision  as 

68 


Miss  Moccasins 

a  creature  of  blazing  eyes,  commanding  voice,  and 
dark  hair  streaming  on  the  wind. 

Then  a  shout  was  heard  down  the  ravine,  and 
the  men  who  had  gathered  with  the  women  around 
a  bonfire  waiting  for  the  night  to  pass,  seized 
flaming  brands  and  following  the  voice,  found 
a  man  kneeling  beside  a  woman's  figure,  death- 
like in  its  stillness.  A  smiling  infant  was  bound 
tightly  across  her  bosom  by  the  Mexican  scarf 
knotted  at  the  back — the  last  act  of  the  little 
brown  old  woman  who  had  been  lifted  behind"  the 
girl  on  El  Diablo. 

A  nasty  cut  under  the  curls  of  the  forehead  had 
soaked  them  with  blood  and  the  man  beside  her 
uttered  an  exclamation  of  relief  as  the  light  of 
the  torches  showed  him  her  face. 

"  She  is  alive — it  bleeds !  Help  me  with  her 
some  of  you !  " 

It  was  the  man  who  had  called  a  blessing  after 
her  in  the  canon. 

"  Senor  Leighton !  You  have  been  in  the  flood ! 
You  have  been  hurt?" 

"  Not  much.  I  dragged  myself  across  some- 
how. I  knew  this  was  the  only  place  she  could 
get  out  of  the  canon  if  she  got  out  alive  at  all. 
I  started  to  warn  you  all,  but  my  horse  went  down 
at  the  cut-off,  and  she, — she  took  up  the  work 
where  I  laid  it  down." 

The  men  carried  her  to  the  fire  while  the  man 

69 


Miss  Moccasins 

who  had  found  her,  with  the  help  of  the  men, 
hobbled  slowly  after.  His  ankle  was  dislocated 
and  badly  swollen.  Under  his  directions  one  of 
the  men  removed  the  shoe  and  pulled  the  bone  into 
place  with  rough  surgery. 

The  girl  was  unconscious,  yet  breathing.  She 
was  but  slightly  wet,  for  only  the  spray  of  the 
flood  had  touched  her.  Some  missile  flung  by  the 
torrent  had  struck  her,  or  the  older  woman,  falling, 
had  dragged  her  down.  But  she  was  there, — a 
living,  breathing  creature,  and  no  phantasm  bred 
by  fear  in  the  minds  of  the  people  who  gathered 
about  her,  wondering,  awestruck. 

"  It  is  the  manta  of  old  Carolina  Alverez," 
said  the  women  as  they  undid  the  scarf,  and  one 
of  them,  who  had  a  babe  of  her  own,  took  the 
child  and  stilled  its  cries  with  motherly  attention. 

"  It  is  the  babe  of  Carmenita,  Carmenita  Al- 
,  verez,  who  could  never  escape — never!  She  has 
'  gone  down  in  the  flood !  "  And  the  women  whis- 
pered together  and  crossed  themselves,  and  looked 
askance  at  the  still  figure  of  the  girl  by  the  fire. 

"  Her  so  white,  her  dress  all  so  fine, — a  fine 
Senorita;  yet  on  her  feet  are  shoes  like  an  In- 
dian. A  Senorita  who  wears  moccasins !  " 

"  She  rode  El  Diablo,  she  is  perhaps  some  vis- 
itor to  the  Old  Mission,"  ventured  another.  But 
the  master  of  the  mission  rancho  heard  them  and 
denied  it. 

70 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  I  can't  account  for  her  having  the  horse.  Gal- 
braith  rode  him  yesterday,"  he  said.  "  More  than 
likely  it  is  some  guest  from  the  Hacienda.  If  so, 
we  must  take  her  there." 

"  Don  Mac,"  said  one  of  the  older  women 
hesitatingly,  "the  Dona  Delfina  is  not  at  home; 
only  Don  Felipe  is  there  with  only  some  men 
friends." 

"  Then  she  must  go  to  the  mission,"  said  Leigh- 
ton,  curtly.  '  Tia  Perenza  will  nurse  her  well — 
take  her  to  my  house." 

And  so  it  was  that  she  was.  carried  in  a  ham- 
mock made  of  coats,  slowly,  slowly  over  the  range 
she  had  crossed  so  gaily  at  sunset,  carried  to  the 
home  of  the  man  whom  she  had  disliked  without 
ever  having  seen  him,  the  man  who  had  "  the 
luck  "  and  whose  luck  had  brought  him  back  to 
the  Hermosa  valley  when  it  needed  him  most. 

He  looked  at  the  group  of  huddling  women, 
shelterless  in  the  open  field,  and  remembered 
things  the  sight  of  the  girl  had  made  him  forget. 

"  At  your  service,  ladies — seiiores.  It  is  as 
near  to  the  old  mission  as  it  is  to  the  settlement. 
There  are  roofs  for  all  of  you  and  food  as  well. 
Mr.  Galbraith  will  see  to  your  comfort." 

"Ay,  in  Paradise!"  cried  one  of  the  older 
women, — "  the  men  say  he  is  gone  down  in  the 
flood!" 

"In  the   flood!— Galbraith!" 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  He  followed  the  Seriorita ;  no  one  ever  saw 
him  again." 

"Ay!  He  is  gone!  And  Carolina  Alverez 
and  Carmenita, — all  gone,  sefior, — carried  down 
in  the  flood  of  the  thrice  accursed  Darrett  dam !  " 

"  Carmenita  and  Galbraith !  What  a  night's 
work!  what  a  night's  work!" 

He  sat  silent  in  the  firelight,  his  face  covered 
with  his  hands,  and  the  people  grew  still,  remem- 
bering that  the  friendship  of  their  Don  Mac  and 
his  overseer  had  been  long  and  close.  They  re- 
spected his  silent  grief,  yet  there  was  no  little 
curiosity  in  the  glances  directed  toward  him  in  the 
flickering  light  of  the  bonfire. 

For  a  year  this  Don  Mac  had  not  set  foot  on 
this,  his  own  land  of  the  Hermosa,  and  none  of 
them  had  forgotten  that  his  wedding  day  with 
Dona  Delfina  Gonzales  had  been  long  settled, 
and  that  it  was  her  elopement  with  Senor  Darrett 
had  sent  him  for  change  of  scene,  or  thought,  or 
work,  to  some  long  ignored  mines  of  Mexico. 

It  was  perhaps  because  he  was  so  very  much 
American  and  so  very,  very  little  Spanish — only 
a  great-grandmother  had  been  of  that  volatile 
blood — that  he  had  neither  fought  with  his  rival, 
nor  drunk  himself  mad  with  brandy  for  a  month 
after  the  wedding. 

But  he  had  not;  he  had  only  laughed  and 
taken  his  freedom  joyously. 

72 


Miss   Moccasins 

He  had  been  the  first  to  welcome  the  elopers 
home.  He  had  been  prompt  to  adjust  the  affairs 
of  the  Gonzales  estate  that  the  young  lovers  should 
have  only  a  path  of  roses  to  tread.  No  one  had 
seen  anything  but  content  on  his  strong,  almost 
handsome  face,  with  the  dark  eyes  of  his  Spanish 
ancestress,  and,  where  the  thick  tan  did  not  hide 
it,  the  fairer  complexion  of  the  many  American 
forbears. 

The  people,  watching  him  while  waiting  for  the 
mission  horses  and  lanterns  he  had  sent  after,  were 
glad  in  their  hearts  that  he  had  come  back.  The 
good  God  had  sent  him  against  their  need.  But 
he  had  gone  away  smiling  and  he  had  come  back 
to  them  sad  and  troubled,  all  the  light  .gone  from 
his  face.  To  look  at  him  one  could  believe  that 
the  years  had  been  many  and  long  instead  of  one 
brief  summer  and  winter. 

When  the  men  and  horses  arrived,  he  got  the 
women  and  children  started  for  the  old  mission, 
after  which  he  was  helped  into  the  saddle;  but 
instead  of  accompanying  them,  he  turned  to  the 
men. 

"  I  can't  walk,  but  I  can  ride  with  you,"  he 
said.  "  All  of  you  come  who  can." 

"  But  where,  sefior?"  asked  one  of  the  Mex- 
icans. 

'  To  cover  every  rod  of  land  touched  by  the 
flood  until  we  find  Galbraith." 

73 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  But  you,  senor — with  the  hurt- 


When  I  can't  sit  in  the  saddle  you  will  have 
to  help  me,  or  I  can  crawl,  as  I  did  to  her." 

"  But  your  foot !  The  doctor  is  sent  for,  he  will 
be  at  the  Mission  rancho,  senor,  and  then " 

"  Then  he  can  wait  and  the  foot  will  keep. 
Joe  Galbraith  can't  have  gone  under  when  that 
girl  with  the  child  outrode  it !  He  is  hurt  some- 
where,— waiting  for  me  to  come, — I  know  it  as 
well  as  if  I  saw  him!  It's  no  sort  of  use  to  tell 
me  anything  about  it,"  he  continued,  as  each  and 
all  of  them  strove  to  assure  him  how  safely  he 
might  leave  the  search  to  them.  "  I  know  you'll 
all  do  your  work,  but  I've  got  mine  to  do.  If  it 
was  Mac  ^Leighton  stranded  somewhere  in  that 
wreckage,  would  Joe  Galbraith  lie  back  on  cush- 
ions and  wait  for  some  one  else  to  make  reports? 
—Hardly!" 

The  night  was  dark,  the  search  slow  and  dreary 
work,  and  dawn  was  breaking  over  the  mother 
mountains  when  they  found  him  in  a  bunch  of 
chaparral  wedged  against  a  gnarled  tree  trunk. 
Across  his  breast,  clasped  in  his  arm,  was  the 
dead  body  of  Carmenita,  and  both  were  pinned 
down  by  a  heavy  timber  from  the  shattered  flume. 

The  Mexicans  stared  strangely  at  each  other  at 
the  sight  of  the  two  thus  in  the  light  of  the  gray, 
dawn.  Only  yesterday  he  had  quarreled  with 
Senor  Barrett  for  her  sake,  had  uttered  threats 

74 


Miss   Moccasins 

and  oaths  that  were  nasty  to  hear.  And  it  was 
for  her,  for  her  that  he  had  ridden  like  a  mad- 
man into  danger — and  arrived  too  late ! 

Leighton  noted  their  glances  and  swore  softly 
to  himself. 

"Lift  the  timber — easy  there,  Diego.  So! 
Give  her  to  me — yes  to  me !  "  he  repeated,  in 
response  to  their  questioning  stare.  "  A  sprained 
ankle  doesn't  cripple  a  man  all  over!  Now  see 
to  him — quick!  Lift  him  out  of  that!  Breath 
in  him?  I  told  you  there  would  be!  Who  has 
some  whisky?  " 

No  one  had.  The  last  little  drop  in  Diego's 
flask  had  been  poured  between  the  pale  lips  of 
the  strange  Sefiorita  of  the  moccasins. 

"  He  is  deathly  cold,"  said  Leighton,  leaning 
from  the  saddle  to  touch  his  friend's  face. 
"  Here,  put  my  coat  around  him;  keep  moving 
now  till  we  get  to  the  rancho.  Easy  boys,  go  easy ! 
That  timber  was  no  light  weight,  but  it  struck  her 
first, — poor  Carmenita !  " 

As  they  went  slowly  homeward  through  the 
fresh  faint  glow  of  the  coming  day,  he  stared 
down  strangely  at  the  white  face  and  the  closed 
eyes  of  the  dead  girl.  All  her  short  life  he  had 
known  her.  Once,  not  so  long  ago,  he  remem- 
bered sending  her  a  string  of  coral  at  Christmas 
and  she  had  run  barefooted  across  the  field  to  the 
mission  rancho  to  shower  her  childish  thanks  on 

75 


Miss  Moccasins 

him, — the  pretty,  impulsive,  kindly  child!  And 
then  in  ways  of  stealth  some  other  had  brought 
her  corals — or  their  equivalents — and  Carmenita 
was  no  longer  a  child!  A  sparkling  defiance  was 
hers,  which  even  the  oldest  friend  could  not  ques- 
tion. A  little  tigress  she  had  been,  seeking  her 
mate  in  the  chaparral.  And  now  her  day  was 
done  and  it  was  her  old  friend  who  carried  her 
home  to  rest. 

He  only  hoped  that  death  had  come  to  her 
quickly,  painlessly,  but  knowing  all,  he  could 
scarcely  wish  her  alive  again.  He  felt  that  even 
if  living,  the  beauty  and  sparkle  and  faith  of 
life  had  been  killed  in  her;  and  Carmenita  was 
not  a  creature  for  half  tones,  and  twilight  tints, 
but  rather  a  brilliant  poppy  flaunting  its  petals  for 
a  brief  day  by  the  wayside. 

Sometimes  in  the  words  of  the  men  ahead,  he 
could  hear  the  oft  recurring  subject  of  the  other 
girl,  the  Senorita  of  the  moccasins.  She  was  the 
real  savior  of  their  awful  night.  Prayers  were 
said  and  candles  vowed  for  her  as  they  moved 
slowly  onward  with  their  burden  in  the  dawning. 

Leighton  smiled  grimly  as  he  heard  them.  All 
Galbraith  did,  all  he  had  tried  to  do,  had  dwindled 
into  nothing  beside  the  heroism  of  the  unknown 
girl  who  had  won  the  admiration  of  them  all. 
The  mystery  of  her  alone  exerted  a  strong  influ- 
ence upon  their  varied  imaginations, — like  nothing 

76 


Miss  Moccasins 

born  of  woman-kind  had  she  appeared  to  them. 
He  saw  one  of  the  more  devout  cross  himself 
when  he  spoke  of  her. 

His  memory  of  her  did  not  exactly  suggest  the 
angelic.  She  had  seemed  a  very  good  running 
mate  for  El  Diablo  as  she  had  stared  frowning 
at  him,  in  the  canon,  as  she  had  flung  aside  his 
detaining  hand,  as  she  had  flung  back  some  de- 
fiance at  him  even  while  she  had  plunged  ahead 
of  that  horror  to  do  his  work, — the  haunting, 
mocking,  daring  Senorita, — "  Senorita  of  the 
Moccasins,"  as  the  Mexicans  had  already  named 
her. 


VI 

THE  OLD  MISSION  OF  HERMOSA. 

The  Old  Mission  of  Hermosa  was  for  some 
reason  no  longer  known  by  that  name  since  the 
magnificent  Hacienda  of  Hermosa  had  been  built 
by  the  Gonzales  across  the  valley.  It  was  only 
"  Old  Mission"  now,  a  series  of  rambling  houses 
clustered  about  the  half  ruined  old  chapel  where 
the  doves  perched  on  the  timbers  of  the  old  belfry 
and  circled  above  the  palms  and  old  olive  trees 
around  the  garden.  But  to  the  site  of  the  Old 
Mission  dwellings  only  did  the  name  really  be- 
long. Beautiful  it  was  with  its  vine  covered  hills 
reaching  high  to  the  east,  its  garden  hedges  of 
oleander  and  pomegranate,  and  beyond  all  its  wide 
range  where  the  horses  were, — for  so  far  as  busi- 
ness on  the  rancho  was  concerned,  that  business 
was  horses.  Fortunately  the  old  gardens  were 
given  up  to  the  colts  and  there  was  enough  space 
retained  by  the  vines  and  orchard  to  yet  suggest 
something  of  the  old  pastoral  peace  of  the  place! 
that  was  once  a  sanctuary. 

When  Leighton  was  a  mere  lad  running  about 
in  the  hot  sand  with  Diego  and  Pedro  and  the 
others,  his  father — or  his  mother — had  owned 
the  entire  Hermosa  tract.  He  was  too  small  to 

73 


Miss  Moccasins 

remember  much  about  the  great  change  by  which 
it  was  swept  out  of  their  possession.  Old  Califor- 
nia grants  were  proven  defective.  His  father  ill 
with  his  last  sickness,  his  mother  heedless  and 
helpless,  caring  only  for  the  life  fading  away  be- 
side her, — that  was  the  confused  picture  left  on 
his  childish  mind.  Then  he  remembered  Tia 
Perenza  crying  over  him  as  he  was  being  prepared 
for  a  long  journey,  and  then  long  boyish  years  in 
Mexico  where  his  mother  had  gone  to  the  home 
of  a  widowed  sister.  Only  a  remnant  had  been 
left  of  their  once  wide  possessions.  All  had  been 
turned  into  coin  by  which  the  boy  was  given  such 
education  as  it  would  allow,  while  his  mother, 
patient  and  uncomplaining,  vainly  tried  to  enter 
into  the  new  life  with  her  son.  Her  eyes  and 
thoughts  were  turned  to  the  sun-kissed  slopes  where 
her  love-life  had  been  lived  and  her  son  born. 

As  he  grew  older,  he  comprehended  something 
of  her  pride  and  her  longing  for  her  native  land, 
and  he  made  wild  promises,  as  youth  will,  of  the 
fortune  he  would  make  when  he  was  a  man,  and 
with  which  he  would  buy  back  for  her  the  entire 
Hermosa.  But  she  had  died  before  his  school  days 
were  ended,  and  it  was  only  her  picture  he  brought 
back,  when  years  later  the  sudden  fancy  of  a  sud- 
denly rich  old  Mexican,  Manuel  Gonzales, 
prompted  him  to  develop  a  mine  in  which  for  a 
time  all  his  hopes  and  dollars  were  sunk.  But 

79 


Miss  Moccasins 

after  a  season  of  feverish  weeks  and  months,  the 
boyish  dreams  were  in  a  measure  realized.  Her- 
mosa  had  been  divided  and  had  changed  owners 
several  times  since  he  played  around  the  fountain 
in  the  old  patio,  but  that  portion  which  contained 
the  historic  old  buildings  and  the  magnificent  via- 
duct, he  was  able  to  secure.  The  balance  was 
purchased  by  Gonzales,  who  had  come  with  him 
for  a  holiday  and  who  caught  the  California  fever 
and  determined  to  build  a  palace  under  the  -old 
pepper  trees,  and  be  a  neighbor  to  the  young 
fellow  he  coveted  as  a  son.  It  was  not  exactly 
a  palace,  but  it  was  by  far  the  finest  structure  in 
the  county,  though  left  incomplete  at  the  time  of 
his  death.  The  management  of  the  estate  and  the 
guardianship  of  his  daughter,  he  had  left  to  Mac 
Leighton  and  died  content  with  the  assurance  that 
Delfina  would  marry  Mac  in  good  time  and  that 
the  boy's  dream  of  joining  the  estates  would  come 
true. 

None  of  the  owners  of  the  Old  Mission  had 
done  aught  during  those  years  to  perpetuate  the 
growths  planted  so  devoutly  by  the  workers  of 
St.  Francis.  But,  luckily,  none  of  the  new  people 
had  been  of  the  revolutionary  sort;  if  they  had 
not  planted  or  pruned  neither  had  they  uprooted, 
and  the  old  trees  lingered  where  they  would  under 
the  easy  rule  of  "  Don  Mac  "  and  the  heedless  rule 
of  the  Sefior  Braith,  who  had  someway  belonged 

80 


Miss  Moccasins 

to  the  Mexican  days — and  who  was  known  at  the 
rancho  as  the  very  right  hand  of  the  owner,  trust- 
ed, drunk  or  sober,  year  in  and  year  out.  For 
ten  years  they  had  been  "  partners  "  in  that  fash- 
ion. Leighton  had  scarcely  been  twenty-one  when 
they  met — and  Galbraith  only  a  couple  of  years 
older. 

But  for  Galbraith,  who  was  entirely  American, 
or  at  least  had  none  of  the  Latin  drops  in  his 
blood,  the  Californias  had  never  the  same  feeling 
that  they  had  for  their  Don  Mac,  whose  ances- 
tors had  ridden  the  ranges  before  they  were  even 
turned  by  the  plow.  Galbraith  was  as  "  square," 
as  reliable  where  his  word  was  once  given,  but  his 
life  had  been  harder;  he  had  cherished  fewer  il- 
lusions. He  was  recklessly  outspoken  where  di- 
plomacy would  have  served  him  better.  To  be 
sure,  the  natives  could  not  really  cheat  Leighton 
any  more  easily  out  of  the  calf  or  the  colt,  or  the 
day's  work;  but  Leighton  would  let  the  Mexican 
or  the  Anglo-Saxon  depart  in  peace  with  the  com- 
fortable feeling  that  no  one  had  guessed  his  desire 
to  cheat,  while  Galbraith  would  clinch  them  in 
the  act,  curse  them  soundly  and  send  them  away 
angered  and  sullen,  and  promising  him  a  knife 
some  dark  night. 

The  household,  itself,  so  far  as  the  housekeep- 
ing went,  was  under  the  hawk-like  eyes  of  Esper- 
enza  Moro,  whose  black  handkerchiefed  head  held 

81 


Miss  Moccasins 

memories  of  days  when  she  was  only  one  of  many 
maidens  who  came  from  the  adobes  to  the  Mission 
for  teachings  temporal  and  spiritual.  Most  of 
these  gave  place  in  a  few  summers  to  other  maid- 
ens preparing  for  the  same  sort  of  mental  ac- 
tivity, that  was  required  to  stew  beans,  mend 
clothes,  and  plant  the  gardens  in  season.  But 
Perenza  was  one  of  the  few  who  never  gave  way 
to  make  room  for  a  newer  face.  She  was  the 
landmark  past  which  her  mates  traveled  to  matri- 
mony and  the  lives  echoing  the  lives  of  their 
mothers  in  the  squat  little  cabins.  Even  the  last 
of  the  padres  had  she  seen  take  the  trail  to  the 
sea.  And  to  the  severity  of  her  discipline  it  was 
due,  no  doubt,  that  the  coming  of  the  crippled, 
the  helpless,  and  the  dead  of  the  Quartz  creek 
flood  made  no  special  commotion  in  the  rooms  of 
the  Old  Mission.  Everything  was  in  order.  A 
whole  village  for  breakfast  only  meant  the  large 
kettles  instead  of  the  small  ones.  Perenza  boast- 
ed of  having  filled  cups  and  plates  when  a  hun- 
dred at  a  time  sat  in  the  refectory.  They  should 
see,  these  young  people,  how  it  was  done. 

Carmenita  lay  in  the  sala.  The  child  was  un- 
hurt, but  the  doctor  shook  his  head  over  the 
wound  in  the  young  girl's  skull  and  said  little. 
Leighton's  injured  ankle  did  not  prevent  him  from 
insisting  that  he  and  no  other  should  nurse  Gal- 
braith,  who  was  "  coming  around  "  with  growls 

82 


Miss  Moccasins 

and  vague  mutterings  of  "  Greaser — the  damned 
Greaser "  and  occasionally  a  reiterated  call  for 
"  Carmenita ! — Carmenita ! — Carmenita !  " 

Noticing  the  questioning  light  in  Dr.  Elroy's 
eyes  and  the  open  curiosity  of  the  Mexicans,  he 
got  rid  of  them  as  quickly  as  possible.  Galbraith 
was  black  and  blue,  two  of  his  ribs  were  broken, 
his  shoulder  cut,  a  slit  sewed  up  back  of  his  ear; 
but  Leighton  treated  these  things  lightly  and  laid 
the  blame  of  the  patient's  boisterousness  on  the 
opiate  the  doctor  had  given  him. 

"  That  stuff  won't  quiet  Joe,"  he  insisted.  "  He 
is  naturally  quiet,  but  with  a  dozen  or  so  beyond 
his  allowance,  he  acts  something  like  this.  He  is 
not  delirious.  Your  powders  have  only  given  him 
a  new  kind  of  drunk.  Leave  him  to  me  and  you 
go  and  look  after  Miss  Moccasins." 

"Miss ?" 

"  Oh,  you  know, — the  girl  who  made  the  ride, 
the  Senorita  they  are  all  saying  prayers  for.  You 
look  after  her;  I'll  attend  to  Galbraith." 

But  his  attentions  when  the  door  was  closed 
were  to  inspect  Galbraith  carefully  to  decide  how 
he  might  take  hold  of  him  vigorously  without  spe- 
cial danger  to  the  injured  parts,  and  then  he  pro- 
ceeded deliberately  to  shake  him  each  time  Gal- 
braith began  his  cries  culminating  in  calls  for  Car- 
menita. 

"  It's  a  puzzle  all  around,"  decided  Leighton, 

83 


Miss   Moccasins 

leaning  back  in  the  chair  and  resting  after  much 
exertion.  "  He  never  used  to  care  for  the  girl 
that  I  could  see,  never  noticed  her  more  than,  or 
even  so  much  as  the  other  girls  of  the  valley.  But 
he  calls  me  back  here  on  a  double  quick  to  help 
straighten  the  tangles  of  Hermosa,  and  she  was 
one  of  them.  I  thought  it  was  the  dickering  with 
the  water  rights  woke  him  up,  but  perhaps — per- 
haps I  am  the  fool ! " 

He  scowled  at  the  flushed  unconscious  face  on 
the  pillow  and  brought  his  clenched  hand  down 
emphatically  on  the  arm  of  the  chair. 

"  It  won't  do,  old  man — it  won't  do !  "  he  mut- 
tered. "You'll*  have  enough  work  to  help 
straighten  out  affairs  here  without  carrying  extra 
weights,  and  those  loitering  Mexicans  will  do  you 
no  good.  Sorry  to  disturb  you,"  he  added  as  the 
calls  began  again,  "  but " 

He  interrupted  himself  by  gripping  the  uncon- 
scious man  by  the  unhurt  arm  and  shaking  him 
vigorously,  but  the  only  result  was  a  wordless 
yell. 

1  That's  better;  yell  till  you  raise  the  tiles,  but 
don't  talk,"  said  his  nurse.  "  It's  the  wrong- time, 
old  man,  it's  the  wrong  time." 

After  a  third  vigorous  shaking  the  invalid 
opened  his  eyes  drowsily,  yet  with  a  gleam  of 
recognition  in  them. 

84 


Miss  Moccasins 

"H'lo  Mac!"  he  muttered.  "What's  up? 
what's " 

"  You  are,"  said  Mac  promptly.  "  You've  had 
a  drunk  on  powders  or  pills  and  you're  just  com- 
ing around.  Want  some  whisky?" 

"  I  reckon  so,"  was  the  drowsy  response. 
"  What  d'ye  think  I'd  call  for,— a  coffin?  " 

Leighton  smiled  grimly.  "  Now  you  are  nat- 
ural," he  remarked.  "  I  told  Dr.  Elroy  it  was 
only  a  plain  drunk  he  gave  you.  He  is  all  right 
for  broken  bones,  but  I  can  discount  him  as  nurse. 
Listen  to  me:  You're  awake,  aren't  you?  Well, 
you  keep  awake  long  enough  to  understand  just  one 
thing.  Listening? " 

Galbraith  nodded. 

"  You've  been  calling  one  name — over  and 
over ;  stop  it !  Keep  awake !  Don't  swallow 
any,  more  dopy  stuff,  do  you  hear?" 

"  Yes,  I  reckon." 

"  It's — Carmenita,  you  know — the  little  girl 
who " 

"  I  know,"  interrupted  Galbraith,  aroused  by 
the  name.  "  Carmenita — I  saved  her — didn't  I 
— Mac?  didn't  I?  "  he  repeated  as  the  other  hesi- 
tated. 

u  Oh  yes — yes — you  saved  her,"  affirmed 
Leighton  hurriedly.  "  Don't  you  worry  about 
that;  but  don't  talk  about  her  either  sleeping  or 
waking.  You've  been  yelling  her  name,  and  Dar- 

85 


Miss   Moccasins 

rett's  too,  to  beat  the  band.  You  cursed  him 
enough  yesterday  without  taking  time  for  it  to-day, 
and  if  you  break  loose  again  I'll  just  about  shake 
your  molars  loose." 

Doctor  Elroy  reached  the  door  in  time  to  hear 
this  threat  of  the  nurse,  and  remonstrated  accord- 
ingly. 

"  That's  all  right,  doctor,"  returned  Leighton 
easily,  "  I've  shaken  him  awake  and  into  his  senses, 
and  if  he  falls  from  grace,  I'll  have  to  do  it  again. 
I've  been  in  Mexico  for  a  year  and  he  has  been 
backsliding  in  consequence;  his  language  was  be- 
yond any  sort  of  pardon." 

"  I  meant  him  to  sleep "  began  the  doctor. 

"  And  that's  what  he  wouldn't  do.  Speak  up, 
Braith;  tell  him  whisky  always  wakes  you  up  in- 
stead of  putting  you  to  sleep,  and  the  opiate  did 
the  same." 

"  He's  right,"  articulated  Galbraith,  drowsily. 
"  I'm  awake — don't  bother  him.  Mac  always 
does  my  thinking  for  me  when  I'm  not  able." 

"  I  am  gratified  that  you  are  coming  around 
so  quickly,"  said  the  doctor,  drawing  on  his  driv- 
ing gloves.  "  I'll  be  back  this  evening.  I'm  not 
just  exactly  hopeful  over  the  condition  of  the 
young  lady.'' 

"  Carmenita?"  asked  Galbraith,  aroused  from 
his  lethargy  by  the  memory  of  the  night  before; 

86 


Miss  Moccasins 

You  told  me,   Mac, — you  told  me  Carmenita 


"  Yes,  yes,"  interrupted  Leighton  with  a  warn- 
ing glance  at  Dr.  Elroy,  "  Carmenita  is — is  safe. 
It's  the  other  girl  he  means,  the  stranger  who  gave 
the  warning,  the  girl  who  rode  El  Diablo." 

"  Good  God, — yes!  "  breathed  Galbraith,  sink- 
ing back.  "  Then  she  was  there !  I  thought  that 
was  a  dreamt  " 

"  You  know  who  she  is?  "  demanded  Leighton, 
"  you  remember  her?  " 

"  Remember!  How  could  I  forget  her?"  he 
muttered.  "  And  is  she  hurt — hurt  bad?  " 

"  Not  fatally  I  hope,"  added  the  doctor  cau- 
tiously. 

"  And  I  thought  she  was  part  of  a  dream — a 
dream !  "  he  murmured  drowsily.  Then  his  eyes 
closed,  his  breathing  grew  regular  and  deep,  and 
the  doctor  watching  him  nodded  approvingly. 

"  He  will  come  around  all  right.  I  wish  I  was 
as  sure  of  the  girl.  You  had  better  send  word  to 
her  relatives  at  once.  She  has  had  an  ugly  wound 
on  her  head.  Both  speech  and  memory  may  be  a 
long  time  coming  back — if  ever  they  come !  " 

Leighton  sat  a  long  time  by  the  door  of  Gal- 
braith's  room  staring  across  the  patio  and  think- 
ing of  the  doctor's  parting  words. 

That  beautiful,    daring,   defiant   creature  who 

87 


Miss   Moccasins 

might  never  waken  to  remembrance,  and  all 
through  doing  his  work — his! 

Diego  Estrada  approached  from  the  corrals  but 
halted,  hesitating,  as  he  noticed  Leighton's  pre- 
occupation. Mac's  face  was  so  sombre  that  one 
would  have  fancied  him  asleep.  But  at  the  halt- 
ing step  he  looked  up. 

"  A  bad  night's  work,  Diego !  " 

"  Ay,  Don  Mac — very  bad !  The  men  have 
found  Carolina  Alverez." 

Leighton  looked  the  question  he  would  have 
asked,  and  Diego  shook  his  head. 

:<  Dead,  senor.  The  men  did  what  they  could, 
but  the  water  had  carried  her  far.  It  is  as  well 
the  women  do  not  see  her;  there  is  nothing  they 
can  do. — God's  curse  on  the  work  of  Felipe  Dar- 
rett!" 

'  The  curse  is  working  hard  enough,  but  it  is 
working  the  wrong  way,  Diego." 

"  That  is  so,  senor."  Estrada  hesitated  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  continued,  "I  see  how  you  shut 
the  door  on  the  boys  who  listen,  Don  Mac,  and 
we  all  hearing  how  Senor  Braith  is  as  mad  in  his 
sleep  as  he  was  yesterday  in  the  road  when  he  met 
with  Felipe  Darrett  and  swore  how  he  will  kill 
him, — pretty  much  the  same.  But  senor,  you  have 
been  a  year  in  Mexico  and  many  things  happen 
and  Senor  Braith  was  only  saying  what  many  a 
man  thought.  We, — I  was  very  glad  to  hear  him 

88 


Miss   Moccasins 

saying  it  like  that  to  Felipe  Barrett's  face, — Car- 
menita — God  rest  her  soul! — was  like  a  little  sis- 
ter to  my  children." 

''  Where  were  you  to  hear  anything?  "  demand- 
ed Leighton,  frowning. 

"  Pepe  and  Sanchez  and  me,  we  going  across  by 
the  old  flume  at  the  big  bend,  and  we  hear  it  all — 
every  word.  When  Senor  Braith  swore  he  shoot 
his  damn  head  off  si  he  is  ever  again  inside  the 
Alverez  home,  Pete  and  me  we  hoping  he  do  it 
then,  but  maybe  he  not  having  any  gun." 

Leighton  sat  frowning  at  the  paving  stones  of 
the  outer  court  and  Estrada,  perceiving  that  the 
subject  was  unpleasant,  changed  it  instantly. 

"  It  is  for  the  grave  I  came  to  speak  with  you, 
serior.  Carmenita  and  the  grandmother,  they  liv- 
ing all  alone — no  relatives  anywhere.  The  poor 
board — perhaps " 

"  No,"  said  Leighton,  suddenly  alert,  "  the 
mother  of  his  child  shall  rest  in  the  new  Hermosa 
cemetery.  Their  deaths  lay  at  Barrett's  door  and 
the  dead  shall  be  buried  there." 

"  But  if  Senor  Barrett  objects — or  the  senora 


"  He  will  not  object,"  returned  Leighton. 
'  These  people  were  killed  by  the  Hermosa  mis- 
management ;  why  should  not  Senora  Barrett  give 
them  grave  room  ?  " 

"  That  is  true,"   agreed  Estrada,    "  and  it  is 

89 


Miss   Moccasins 

well.  If  Carmenita  had  been  asked  she  would 
have  said  to  take  her  there,  perhaps." 

"  Perhaps,"  said  Leighton,  briefly.  '  You  see 
to  it." 

"And  Father  Key?" 

"  Send  him  to  me  when  he  comes." 

"  Buena  !  "  said  Estrada,  approvingly.  "  All 
our  people  very  glad  you  come  back  again  to  take 
hold." 

He  had  crossed  the  patio  when  Leighton  called 
him  back. 

"  Was  it  you  spoke  of  Seiior  Braith  leaving 
Diablo  at  Pedro's  yesterday?" 

"  Sure]  El  Diablo  was  to  have  the  shoes 
changed,  but  he  acted  like  a  fiend  out  of  hell; 
and  Senor  Braith  could  not  wait  so  long,  so  he 
just  send  him  to  Pedro's  stable  till  he  is  coming 
home  again." 

'  Very  good. — Go  you  and  ask  Pedro  wrho  took 
the  horse  from  there." 

'  Why,"  and  Estrada  made  a  gesture  down  the 
corridor, — "  the  Senorita." 

;' What  Senorita?  Where  did  she  come 
from?" 

"  Nobody  knowing  that,  Don  Mac." 

"Find  out!" 

'  The  people,  nearly  all,  think  the  good  God 
he  sent  her." 

90 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  But  he  would  not  have  sent  her  on  El  Diablo! 
-See  Pedro." 

The  day  was  yet  early,  and  as  the  refugees 
from  the  wrecked  valley  came  out  from  the  bounti- 
ful breakfast  in  the  refectory,  the  mothers  and 
fathers  came  forward  to  shake  hands  with  the 
master,  who  had  come  back.  Some  of  the  older 
people  prayed  for  a  little  corner  of  the  Mission, 
where  they  could  end  their  days,  for  the  land  of 
the  Gonzales  was  accursed.  The  younger  ones 
asked  for  work,  and  many  of  the  mothers  led 
forward  their  children  that  the  tawny  little  tots 
might  know  the  face  of  Don  Mac,  who  was  shel- 
tering them  and  feeding  them. 

On  every  side  there  was  the  echo  of  Estrada's 
words.  They  were  glad,  the  old  and  the  young 
alike,  that  he  was  again  among  them.  They  were 
like  children  in  their  absolute  faith  that  all  would 
be  well  in  the  valley  once  more.  There  would  be 
work  for  all,  that  the  clothes  and  food  might  be 
bought.  The  ranches  would  share  the  life  of  the 
old  days.  The  natives  would  be  given  first  place 
in  the  ranges  and  vineyards,  while  the  thrice 
accursed  foreign  emigrant,  with  his  brogue  and 
his  strange  ways,  would  be  sent  back  to  the  rail- 
road! All  would  come  right  when  their  Don 
Mac  was  there  to  help  them ! 

He  listened  and  felt  ashamed  of  the  many, 
many  days  when  he  had  forgotten  them  and  their 


Miss   Moccasins 

needs.  He  had  never  realized  that  he  was  mpre 
necessary  than  others  in  the  Hermosa  valley, — 
perhaps  the  natives  never  realized  it  themselves 
until  he  had  left  them  for  that  year,  and  the  sea- 
son of  Barrett's  mastery  had  brought  to  them  a 
dread  of  the  new  and  the  strange  until  the  name 
of  Don  Mac  was  a  part  of  their  prayers. 

Their  God  and  the  saints  were  all  very  well  for 
the  things  of  the  spirit,  and  the  life  afar  off,  but 
it  was  the  K'/Lig  presence  of  McNeil  Leighton 
upon  \vhIJi  they  depended  for  managing  the 
mundane  affairs  of  the  Hermosa  valley. 

Old  Perenza  came  hobbling  out  to  him  on  the 
porch,  her  keen,  jealous  eyes  snapping  with  satis- 
faction as  the  outsiders  moved  aside,  showing  her 
the  respect  exacted  by  her  from  the  toilers  of  the 
valley. 

'  The  Senorita,  she  asking  for  the  child ;  it  is  all 
what  she  talks,"  she  stated  briefly. 

Leighton  looked  from  one  to  the  other  of  the 
women  questioningly.  He  knew  no  more  than 
Perenza,  whose  hands  had  taken  the  child;  all  his 
thoughts  had  been  for  the  girl  who  had  ridden 
his  favorite  horse  and  flung  back  defiance  at  him. 

But  a  young  woman  came  forward  with  a  tiny 
mantilla-wrapped  bundle. 

"  I  took  it,  senor.  My  Pablo  is  old  enough 
to  wean,  and  if  this  little  one  could  take  his 
place " 

92 


Miss   Moccasins 

"You  are  Anita,  Juan's  Anita?"  said  Leigh- 
ton.  '  Very  good !  Go  with  Tia  Perenza.  Do 
whatever  she  tells  you."  Then  he  addressed  him- 
self to  the  latter.  "The  Senorita  speaks,  then? 
The  doctor  feared  she  might  not.  I  may  see 
her?" 

"  Aye,  you  can  look  with  the  eyes,  but  you  no 
get  her  to  talk  with  the  sense, — maybe  not  at  all. 
All  same,  you  come  along  si  you  like." 

Leighton  arose  and  followed  her,  glad  to  escape 
from  the  eager  thanks  of  the  people,  and  the  old 
woman  made  a  chuckling  sound  allied  to  laughter. 
She  was  well  pleased  to  think  that  he  disdained 
the  thanks  of  the  common  people.  She  had  a 
pride  in  dispensing  charity  to  them,  but  she  liked 
it  to  descend  upon  them  as  from  an  eminence. 

The  Senorita  lay  in  a  closet-like  cell  of  many 
forgotten  padres, — the  only  form  of  sleeping 
room  known  on  the  Mission  rancho.  Its  one  tiny 
window  opened  on  the  garden,  and  the  fragrance 
of  jasmine  drifted  through  the  narrow  aperture 
and  met  Leighton  in  the  doorway. 

The  white  bandage  about  the  girl's  head  made 
more  vivid  the  deep  flush  of  her  cheeks.  A  coarse 
white  gown  had  replaced  the  trim  traveling  dress, 
and  around  her  throat  the  string  of  turquoise 
shone  on  its  thread  of  sinew,  fastened  by  the  cord 
of  scarlet. 

Beautiful  as  she  had  appeared  to  Leighton  in 

93 


Miss   Moccasins 

the  dusk  of  the  canon,  or  even  in  her  pallid  help- 
lessness of  the  early  dawn,  she  had  not  appealed  to 
him  as  she  did  now  in  her  flushed,  unconscious  love- 
liness under  his  own  roof.  As  she  turned  her  head 
restlessly  on  Esperenza's  finest  lace-trimmed  pil- 
low and  flung  out  her  arm,  bare  and  white,  where 
the  sleeve  slipped  aside,  he  felt  to  blame  as  he 
stared  at  her,  a  figure  in  flushed  marble  carved 
from  the  white  austerity  of  a  monk's  cell.  Yet  the 
fascination  the  picture  held  for  him  could  no  more 
have  been  explained  than  could  the  leap  of  his 
heart  when  out  of  her  restless  silence  he  heard  her 
voice  again,  the  voice  he  had  followed  through 
the  gloom  of  the  night,  and  which  all  the  horrors 
of  that  torrent  had  failed  to  drown  in  his  ears. 

"It  is  a  child — a  little  child!  "  she  murmured 
insistingly.  "Give  it  to  me — oh — please — 
please!  " 

Her  hands  were  reached  out  appealingly,  and 
then  fell  back  weakly  beside  her,  while  she  whim- 
pered like  a  child  deprived  of  a  toy. 

"It  is  all  she  speaks,  sefior — not  one  other 
thing,"  stated  Perenza.  "  We — I  think  it  maybe 
is  that  muchachito — so  I  go  for  him." 

"  A  little  child,"  repeated  the  girl  drowsily. 

Leighton  hobbled  across  to  the  cot  and  clasped 
her  wrist. 

''Whose  child — whose  is  it?"  he  asked  in  an 
authoritative  manner,  and  the  sharp,  decisive  tones 

94 


Miss  Moccasins 

penetrated  her  dulled  consciousness  and  for  a 
moment  the  gray  eyes  opened  full  upon  him  and 
her  reply  had  a  slightly  surprised  tone. 

"  Why,  the  child  from  the  cabin,  the  last  cabin. 
I  wish  they  would  bring  him.  I  am  so  tired  alone 
— so  tired — I  wish — "  and  then  her  wishes  drifted 
into  indistinct  murmurs,  and  fretful  unconscious 
appeals. 

"  Put  the  child,  some  child  beside  her,"  said 
Leighton.  "  Give  her  anything  she  asks  for,  any- 
thing to  keep  her  from  fretting  or  restlessness !  " 

"  The  doctor — he  thinking  she  maybe  not  talk 
at  all,"  said  the  old  woman,  reassuringly.  '  This 
is  not  so  bad  like  he  think." 

"  Perhaps  not,"  said  Leighton,  as  he  dragged 
his  injured  foot  back  into  the  sunshine  of  the 
court.  "  But  she  did  my  work,  Perenza.  The 
Mission  rancho  and  all  it  holds  is  for  her  service; 
see  that  no  one  forgets  it." 

Old  Perenza  nodded  her  head  and  looked  at 
him  sharply  from  under  her  shaggy  brows.  He 
had  always  been  thoughtful  of  people,  had  Don 
Mac,  but  his  special  care  for  the  Senorita  wakened 
a  brief  hope  in  her  old  heart.  She  had  wished 
with  all  the  might  that  was  in  her  that  he  would 
come  back  from  Mexico  with  some^wife  beautiful 
as  the  day,  richer  than  a  dozen  of  the  Gonzales. 
Don  Mac  might  laugh  and  be  gay  if  he  chose  over 
the  elopement  of  his  fiancee  with  another  man,  but 

95 


Miss   Moccasins 

in  Perenza  the  slight  rankled  like  a  poisoned 
arrow.  Suppose  the  girl  in  the  cell  of  the  old 
padres  should  heal  that  wound  to  the  pride!  To 
Perenza  she  was  more  beautiful  than  the  Gon- 
zales,  and  when  had  he  ever  looked  at  the  heir  of 
Hermosa  as  he  looked  at  the  Senorita  of  the  moc- 
casins? 

The  old  woman  took  her  knitting  to  the  door 
of  the  little  room  and  sat  in  the  shade  of  the  wide 
porch,  glancing  occasionally  to  the  far  end,  where 
Leighton  resumed  his  place  at  Galbraith's  door. 
Her  dreams  had  ever  been  of  a  wife  of  wealth  for 
him,  but  after  all  beauty  and  youth  were  better 
than  nothing! 

Diego  Estrada  returned  in  a  little  while,  and 
beside  him  was  the  much  frightened  Pedro,  who 
hastened  to  assure  Don  Mac  how  little  he  was 
to  blame  in  the  matter  of  El  Diablo !  Maria  her- 
self was  witness  that  it  was  little  else  than  highway 
robbery  the  strange  Senorita  had  been  guilty  of. 
That  one  horse  she  would  have  and  no  other. 
And  he,  Pedro  Lorde,  and  also  Maria,  had  been 
so  sure  she  was  a  dear  friend,  or  even  a  relation, 
she  knew  Don  Mac  so  well,  so  very  well !  And 
she  had  told  them  he  never  would  want  a  lady  to 
walk  so  far  as  Hermosa ! 

"Which  Hermosa?" 

But  there  Pedro  fell  back  on  his  saints  to  wit- 
ness how  little  he  knew  of  the  Senorita's  inten- 

96 


Miss  Moccasins 

tions.  It  might  be  the  Hacienda,  it  might  be  the 
settlement,  or  it  might  be  even  Old  Mission, 
where  she  now  lay.  But  since  Don  Mac — the 
saints  be  thanked! — had  recovered  the  ani- 
mal  

"  From  where  did  she  come?" 

Here  again  Pedro  was  useless.  He  did,  indeed, 
think  it  must  be  from  the  railroad,  but 

"Was  she  alone?" 

"Sure!"  This  was  the  only  reply  of  which 
Pedro  was  quite  certain.  The  other  lady  in  the 
stage  had  called  to  her,  had  implored  her,  but  the 
Senorita  had  insisted  on  stopping  alone  at  Pedro's, 
and  Maria  had  made  the  coffee — and 

"  She  came  in  the  stage?  " 

"  Of  course !  " 

"  Why  did  you  not  tell  me  that  at  first?  " 

"  First  ?  But,  serior,  you  no  asking  me  that  ques- 
tion !  " 

"  Go  on,  get  out.  Diego,  find  the  driver;  he 
will  know." 

"Mother  of  God!"  cried  Pedro;  "you  no 
hearing  yet  about  the  stage?  " 

Leighton  turned  to  Estrada  questioningly. 

'  The  word  just  got  here,  senor,"  said  the  latter. 
'  The  stage  was  caught  somewhere  after  it  turned 
into  the  canon  road  and  the  driver  and  one  horse 
was  found  five  mile  below, — no  one  else." 

;'  Wait  here,"  said  Leighton,  after  a  moment's 

97 


Miss  Moccasins 

thought,  and  then  fee  made  his  way  along  the 
colonnade  to  the  room  of  the  Seiiorita.  The  child 
now  lay  beside  the  girl,  one  of  its  tiny  fingers 
clasped  in  hers,  while  Anita  sat  on  guard  beside 
them,  fearing  some  movement  too  abrupt  for  the 
wee  morsel  of  humanity.  The  Senorita  was  sleep- 
ing quietly  and  Perenza  nodded  approval. 

"It  is  goodl  We  find  a  child  to  sleep  beside 
her  si  she  fret  like  that  some  more.  This  one 
too  young  yet  for  a  plaything,  too  easy  to  break. 
Santa  Maria,  how  she  ever  save  him  alive  like 
she  did?" 

Leighton  pointed  to  the  brown  dress  over  the 
back  of  a  chair  and  the  little  leather  bag  beside  it. 

"  The  pocket !     Give  me  any  papers  there." 

Perenza  opened  the  bag  cautiously,  while  Anita 
looked  on  with  wide-eyed  curiosity.  The  posses- 
sions of  the  girl,  like  the  girl  herself,  were 
regarded  with  something  like  awe  by  all  who  had 
seen  her  riding  ahead  of  the  flood.  But  even  the 
sharp  eyes  of  Perenza  could  find  little  to  wonder 
at  in  the  pockets, — a  few  coins,  a  few  keys  on  a 
silver  ring,  a  little  hem-stitched  handkerchief  with 
an  embroidered  "  A  "  in  the  corner,  and  last,  a 
card  with  a  name,  "  Miss  A-  J.  Watson,"  and  on 
the  back  in  pencil  was  written  the  address  in  Her- 
mosa,  where  the  teacher  from  Kern  County  had 
meant  to  stop. 

Leighton  turned  it  over,  regarding  it  dubiously. 


Miss  Moccasins 

It  was  a  cheap,  printed  affair  and  bore  little  sug- 
gestion of  relationship  to  the  leather  bag  with  its 
dainty  lining  and  chain  of  silver,  yet  it  was  all  he 
had  to  go  by. 

He  copied  it  carefully  and  gave  the  copy  to 
Estrada. 

"Go  to  this  place  and  ask  if  any  friends  or 
relatives  of  the  young  lady  reside  there.  If  you 
find  her  people,  tell  them  where  she  is. — Under- 
stand?" 

"  Sure !  You  want  that  they  come  and  take  the 
Seiiorita  of  the  moccasins  to  her  own  home — 
no?" 

Leighton  made  an  impatient  gesture  and 
Estrada  departed  hastily  for  his  horse,  and  was 
directly  heard  clattering  along  towards  the  high- 
way for  Hermosa,  while  Leighton  sank  wearily 
back  in  his  chair  at  Galbraith's  door,  and  his  face 
dropped  forward  in  his  hands  as  though  hurt  by 
the  brilliant  light  on  the  white  stones  of  the  patio. 

1  You  want  that  they  come  and  take  the 
Senorita?"  The  words  of  Diego  echoed  them- 
selves mockingly  in  his  ears.  Did  he  want?  She 
had  taken  up  his  work  where  he  had  laid  it  down. 
Through  all  the  horror  of  that  night,  she  was  the 
one  star  shining  clearly  through  the  dusk  for  him, 
and  he  felt  suddenly  aggressive  towards  the 
unknown  people  who  would  come  by  and  by,  and 
gather  her  to  themselves  and  bar  him  out. 

99 


Miss  Moccasins 

Bar  him  out! — He  uttered  a  contemptuous 
groan  at  his  own  folly.  What  was  the  girl  to 
him?  or  what  would  he  hope  for  in  a  young  life 
like  that?  He  had  come  back  for  work,  the  work 
he  had  shirked  a  year  ago.  He  had  not  meant  to 
shirk  it,  he  had  meant  to  do  the  one  generous 
thing  needed  to  render  the  daughter  of  his  old 
friend  absolutely  happy.  He  had  not  legally 
turned  over  the  management  of  the  estate 
to  her,  neither  had  he  legally  relinquished 
the  guardianship  of  her,  though  he  prob- 
ably would  have  thoughtlessly  done  both  but 
for  the  restraining  remembrance  of  his  bonds- 
men. He  had  simply  let  go  the  reins  with  the 
sense  of  freedom,  believing  and  hoping  someway 
that  it  would  be  all  right.  Delfina's  husband 
would  certainly  for  his  own  interests  help  guard 
Delfina's  estate;  who  could  fancy  that  it  could  be 
otherwise  ? 

But  the  "  otherwise  "  was  the  thing  he  would 
have  to  face  now.  He  counted  over  the  few  weeks 
or  months  until  the  daughter  of  Gonzales, — the 
man  who  had  entrusted  him  with  the  care  of  her, 
— should  reach  her  majority. — On  that  day,  though 
it  should  sink  the  Mission  rancho  and  all  it  con- 
tained, the  estate  of  Hermosa  must  be  put  into 
her  hands  as  clear  of  obligations  as  it  was  when 
Gonzales  left  it  in  his  trust,  and  until  that  day 

100 


Miss  Moccasins 

oame,  there  was  only  one  trail  of  duty  for  him 
to  follow. 

Perenza,  watching  him  from  her  end  of  the 
gallery,  came  over  and  squatted  against  a  pillar 
beside  him. 

"  Foot  hurt  bad,  Don  Mac?  You  make  moan 
like  Sefior  Braith,  so  I  thinking  maybe " 

"  Don't  think,  Tia  Perenza,  and  don't  mind 
me.  I'm  only  getting  acclimated  again  and  it's 
harder  knocks  than  usual." 

Perenza  nodded  her  head  sagaciously. 

"  Si  you  bringing  home  a  wife,  that  the  best 
thing  could  ever  happen  this  rancho,  Don  Mac. 
You  no  liking  be  all  alone  all  your  life — no?  I 
hoping,"  she  went  on  craftily,  "  you  bring  home 
some  ver  beautiful  senora  from  that  Mexico  for 
that  yellow  hair  Gonzales  to  see." 

"Gonzales?" 

"  Um !  "  assented  Perenza,  "  I  ver  glad  all  the 
time  you  no  marrying  with  her.  All  same,  I  no 
like  si  she  say  my  Don  Mac  no  can  si  he  want." 

Her  Don  Mac  laughed  and  his  sombre  thought- 
fulness  vanished. 

'  You're  jealous,   Perenza,  but  of  the  Senora 
Darrett  you  must  speak  with  respect." 

"  Sure,  when  people  listen !  But  I  knowing  that 
old  man  Gonzales,  and  I  seeing  that  Dutch  woman 
what  he  marry — ugh!  Then  I  see  the  little  fine 

101 


Miss  Moccasins 

lady  when  she  riding  up  that  hill  each  day  to  make 
talk  with  a  man  what  hide  sometimes " 

"Perenza!" 

"  Si  1 — I  minding  all  what  happen  and  that  hap- 
pen more  as  one  dozen  times !  Ay  de  mi !  I  glad 
when  you  go  to  Mexico,  for  she  no  caring  long 
for  that  pretty  vagamunda !  But  si  you  come 
home  without  a  wife,  I  sorry." 

"  A  sick  man  is  in  this  room,  a  dead  woman  in 
:  the  sala,  perhaps  a  dying  girl  over  there,  and  you 
^.waste  time  to  talk  of  a  wedding,  a  wedding  I 
'shan't  catch  up  with  for  a  long  time." 

"Catchup?" 

"My  wedding  plans  are  over — gone — dead! 
.Funerals  are  more  in  my  line  now." 

"  That  Senorita  ver  pretty  girl,  Don  Mac." 

Don  Mac  frowned  impatiently. 

"  The  year  has  not  left  us  younger,  Tia  Per- 
enza.  We  talk  like  children  or  people  whose  wits 
are  gone.  The  Senorita  may  be  beautiful  as  an 
angel,  but  she  is  not  for  our  world." 

"Not  for  our  world!*'  Perenza  stumbled  to 
her  feet,  startled  by  his  sudden  intensity.  To  her 
his  words  only  meant  that  the  strange  Senorita 
was  marked  beyond  hope  for  death. 

Leighton  touched  her  arm  and  pointed  to  the 
sky  line  of  the  Sierras  looming  beyond  the  far 
ranges. 

"  Every  day  you  have  lived,  you  have  seen  the 

102 


Miss   Moccasins 

blue  of  the  mountains,  Perenza;  have  you  ever 
climbed  to  the  top  of  one?  " 

"Holy  Mother!     Nat" 

"  Have  you  ever  circled  one  to  see  what  was  on 
the  other  side?  " 

;' Why  I  doing  so  big  fool  a  thing?  This  is 
my  side.  I  staying  where  I  belong.  That  moun- 
tain, — when  I  was  a  girl  bad  Indians  coming  down, 
sometimes  from  other  side  that  mountain.  I  ver 
glad  the  mountain  there  to  keep  more  bad  ones 
out.  The  good  God  making  it  for  a  wall  maybe. 
I  hearing  the  Padre  saying  that  with  these  two 
ears!" 

'  Yes.  v;  Well,  the  wall  around  your  beautiful 
Sefiorita  may  have  been  built  by  the  same  agency 
or  the  opposite.  But  the  wall  is  as  high  and  as 
strong  as  the  Mother  Mountains,  Perenza,  and 
for  me  there  is  no  path." 


103 


VII 

FELIPE'S  FATE. 

The  boarding-house  keeper  at  Hermosa  sent 
back  word  to  Leighton  that  a  school  teacher,  Miss 
Watson,  had  engaged  board  there  in  case  she 
could  get  the  school.  But  a  teacher  was  already  in 
charge,  pending  the  recovery  of  the  original  peda- 
gogue from  a  siege  of  typhoid.  The  man  of  the 
boarding  house  further  stated  that  the  correspond- 
ence concerning  both  the  school  and  the  boarding 
had  been  conducted  by  a  sister-in-law  of  Miss 
Watson,  who  lived  across  in  Kern  County.  The 
letters  with  addresses  had  been  mislaid,  but  he 
would  endeavor  to  find  them. 

Leighton  read  this  bald  statement  which  told 
him  so  little  and  that  little  not  pleasant. 

A  school  teacher!  And  of  the  class  hoping  to 
be  accepted  as  a  substitute,  a  stop  gap !  One 
whom  her  relatives  had  started  out  to  make  her 
own  way  and  find  a  home  as  best  she  could  among 
the  not  very  select  class  in  the  straggling  village 
of  Hermosa. 

Perenza  heard  him  swear  as  he  folded  the  let- 
ter, but  she  noticed  that  his  expression  was  any- 
thing but  harsh  as  he  bade  her  to  spare  no  pains 
in  the  care  of  the  Senorita  and  to  demand  all  the 

104 


Miss  Moccasins 

help  she  required.  There  was  no  one  else  to  look 
after  her. 

"  Then  the  relation  of  the  Senorita,  he  no  is 
coming  for  her?  " 

"  It  doesn't  look  likely." 

"  Not  at  all,  not  any  time?  "  repeated  Perenza 
incredulously,  "  not  at  any  time  when  she  have 
save  the  whole  Hermosa  valley?" 

"  They  are  people  of  leather  hearts,  her  people, 
and  they  live  far  away.  The  Hermosa  valley 
must  make  up  to  her  for  them." 

"  Hermosa!  "  grunted  Perenza,  not  ill  pleased. 
"  Humph!  that  mean  just  you!  " 

"  And  you,"  he  added. 

"  Madre  de  dios !  how  do  I  count?  You  taking 
care  me  all  the  same  like  I  was  sick  like  the  Seno- 
rita, or  little  like  the  baby!  " 

But  long  after  he  had  left  the  room  Perenza 
sat  knitting  and  staring  at  the  sleeping  girl.  She 
had  always  thought  Don  Mac  a  fit  mate  for  any 
crowned  queen,  then  why — why  did  he  make  such 
talk  of  a  high  wall  between  him  and  a  little  school 
teacher,  who  'wore  shoes  like  the  Indians?  No 
-path !  Perenza  grunted  discontentedly,  and 
thought  of  his  handsome  face  and  strong  arms; 
what  were  they  for  but  to  clear  paths  wherever  he 
wanted  to  go? 

Was  he  still  thinking  of  that  Gonzales  with 
the  yellow  frizzle  top  of  hair?  She  prayed  the 

105 


Miss   Moccasins 

saints  to  send  the  man  more  than  the  sense  of  a 
mule! 

The  sun  was  dropping  far  down  in  the  west, 
and  where  she  sat  by  the  open  door  she  could  see 
the  people  coming  and  going  in  the  patio,  as  they 
had  been  doing  all  day,  some  only  curious,  others 
to  offer  help,  many  with  hearty  welcome  to 
Leighton. 

The  latter  departed  feeling  that  the  year  in 
Mexico  had  left  him  more  than  a  year  older;  he 
was  not  the  care-free  comrade  they  had  known. 
What  had  Mexico  done  to  him? 

Some  of  them  plunged  into  the  heart  of  the 
Hermosa  problems,  and  despite  the  many  claims 
on  his  attention,  strove  to  sound  him  concerning 
the  Darrett  schemes,  among  which  was  a  "  wild- 
cat "  railroad  proposition  so  at  variance  with  the 
needs  of  the  district  that  it  would  bar  out  a  branch 
road  they  had  all  been  working  for  and  which  was 
to  come  in  from  a  different  direction.  It  was 
only  a  "  boom  "  affair  to  fill  the  pockets  of  some 
outside  speculators,  but  in  some  way  they  had  got 
Felipe  Darrett  on  their  side  and  were  using  Her- 
mosa as  a  base  of  operations.  Factories  and  a 
sanitarium  were  among  the  several  things 
projected,  and  for  the  latter  the  water  from  Old 
Mission  reservoir  was  to  be  turned  into  a  different 
channel.  This  meant  that  the  lands  heretofore 
receiving  the  benefits  for  which  it  had  been  con- 

106 


Miss   Moccasins 

structed  would  be  left  aside  from  its  path,  useless 
for  miles  along  the  line,  and  the  troubled  ranch- 
men were  in  several  cases  not  by  any  means  certain 
whether  they  could  keep  Darrett  from  trans- 
ferring the  water  right,  if,  as  he  claimed,  the  old 
reservoir  did  actually  belong  to  the  Gonzales 
tract  and  not,  as  had  always  been  supposed,  to 
the  Old  Mission  tract  itself. 

Leighton  listened  to  all,  and  committed  him- 
self to  few  decided  opinions.  To  Darrett's  avowed 
enemies  he  had  said,  "  We  will  see."  To  Dar- 
rett's few  friends  he  had  stated  that  very  clever 
promoters  had  been  working  the  said  road  deal, 
and  no  one  was  so  wise  that  he  might  not  make 
mistakes  under  such  pressure.  Only  when  the  old 
Hermosa  dam  was  touched  upon  did  he  show  a 
flash  of  feeling  and  decision. 

"  There  will  be  a  new  survey  made  of  those 
lines,"  he  said,  "  so  don't  let  the  water  rights 
worry  you.  The  Gonzales  heirs  can't  give  any 
title  to  them.  Gonzales  and  I  discovered  that  the 
last  survey  was  wrong.  We  made  an  agreement 
about  it,  but  let  it  stand  for  the  time.  As  some 
of  you  were  invited  to  the  wedding,"  he  added, 
smiling,  "  you  will  understand  why." 

'That's  so;  if  you  had  married  the  daughter, 
Hermosa  would  have  had  no  dividing  line !  " 

"  And  no  broken  dam  last  night,"  added 
another. 

107 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Well,  if  I  was  too  late  for  the  wedding,  I  am 
here  in  time  to  protect  the  water  rights  and  don't 
worry  over  the  proposed  booms  and  shaky  rail- 
road schemes;  they  will  never  get  farther  than  the 
paper  they  are  planned  on.  I  can  assure  you  the 
Gonzales  tracts  will  not  enter  into  the  deal,  at 
least  not  at  the  figures  quoted." 

"  Oh,  it's  Darrett's  crazy  plunging,"  said  one 
of  the  younger  men.  "  I've  always  felt  guilty  for 
bringing  him  into  the  valley.  But  he  seemed  all 
right  in  Frisco,  or  else  my  drinks  were  mixed  too 
often  for  clear  sight.  Anyway,  he  took  me  home 
one  night  when  I  could  not  find  the  way,  so  I 
thought  he  was  a  good  fellow,  and  invited  him 
down.  I  ought  to  have  been  kicked !  " 

"  Nonsense !  "  said  Leighton,  easily.  "  Let  me 
fill  your  glass.  You  were  not  to  blame.  He  was 
an  unusually  attractive  fellow,  you  know.  It  was 
all  just  a  streak  of  dumb  luck,  like  most  things  in 
life  are,  whether  good,  bad  or  indifferent." 

What  he  really  thought  of  Felipe  Darrett  none 
of  them  could  guess,  but  they  remembered  that  he 
was  the  first  to  welcome  him  back  to  Hermosa, 
and  that  he  had  given  his  old  friends  to  under- 
stand that  they  must  do  likewise,  and  that  he  had 
established  Darrett's  social  standing  in  the  valley 
before  he  had  left  for  Mexico.  And  now  on  his 
return  he  was  almost  the  only  one  who  had  no 

108 


Miss   Moccasins 

word  of  blame  for  the  mistakes  which  an  enemy 
might  have  called  crimes. 

"  But  if  he  is  even  half  a  man,  won't  he  show 
up  now  ?  "  demanded  one  of  the  ranchmen  who 
had  come  to  offer  help.  He  was  speaking  to  a 
group  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  patio  from 
Leighton,  and  his  words  were  clearly  heard  by 
Perenza,  who  sat  with  her  endless  knitting  of  linen 
lace  at  the  Senorita's  door.  "  Will  he  let  Mac 
Leighton  shoulder  all  this  tribe,  his  employees, 
mind  you!  doctor  the  sick  and  bury  the  dead? 
I'll  bet  he  is  double  locked  in  his  own  room  over 
at  the  Hacienda,  afraid  of  being  mobbed,  and 
shaking  like  a  dose  of  ague  every  time  the  bell 
rings." 

"  Old  Luigo  says  he  went  away  yesterday  even- 
ing," stated  one  of  the  more  temperate  citizens, 
named  Mitchell,  "  went  away  and  left  some  newly 
arrived  guests  in  the  house,  lawyers  who  came  by 
his  appointment  to  settle  some  transfers  of  outly- 
ing tracts  he  was  to  sell.  I  guess  they  held  an 
indignation  meeting  this  morning  and  started  on 
the  back  trail.  Luigo  looked  very  shaky  and 
scary,  but  I  had  to  take  his  word  for  it  that  his 
sefiora  was  in  Frisco,  and  that  Darrett  had  rid- 
den away  yesterday  evening  and  had  not 
returned." 

"Not  returned! — ridden  away! — say " 

The  men  looked  at  each  other  quickly, — the 

109 


Miss   Moccasins 

same  thought  had  come  to  each  at  the  words.  The 
path  of  the  flood  was  many  miles  long :  who  could 
tell  what  riders  had  crossed  it? 

"  That  would  look  like  a  stroke  of  dramatic 
justice,"  remarked  one  of  the  men.  "  But  it  is 
not  likely  to  happen.  A  man  either  on  foot  or  on 
horseback  could  hear  the  flood  coming  in  time  to 
climb  for  high  ground.  Those  people  in  the  stage 
would  have  escaped,  no  doubt,  if  the  clatter  of  the 
wheels  had  not  drowned  the  roar  until  it  was  too 
close.  There  was-  a  woman  in  it,  too,  a  stranger 
by  name  of  Ogden.  Wouldn't  have  known  even 
her  name  if  Bert  Hamilton  hadn't  chanced  to  hear 
it  on  the  stage.  His  salvation  was  leaving  it  at 
Pedro's." 

"  Find  the  woman  yet?" 

"  Not  at  last  reports,  and  the  chances  are 
against  it,  after  Quartz  Creek  reaches  North  Fork. 
The  water  was  high,  you  know,  all  over,  without 
the  extra  flood." 

Then  there  was  heard  the  clattering  of  shod 
hoofs  on  the  paving  without  and  across  the  yard, 
and  into  the  patio  rode  an  old  man,  hatless,  and 
with  straggling  gray  locks  flying  back  from  an 
ashen  face. 

He  halted  the  panting  animal  and  called 
hoarsely,  gasping,  while  he  shaded  his  eyes  with 
his  hand  and  peered  at  the  group  of  men. 

no 


Miss   Moccasins 

"  The  Don  Mac,  the  Senor  Leighton !  I  am 
come  for  him,  I  come  for  help!  " 

'What  sort  of  help  do  you  folks  need?" 
demanded  one  of  the  ranchmen.  "  You  people  at 
the  Hacienda  are  out  of  reach  of  danger." 

'Justice!"  shrilled  the  old  voice,  quavering 
with  emotion  and  fury,  "  the  justice  of  the  good 
God!  the  justice  of  the  laws  for  Don  Felipe — my 
Felipe!" 

Leighton  heard  the  commotion  and  the  high 
shrill  tones,  where  he  was  seated  for  the  moment 
by  Galbraith's  bed,  and  arising  with  an  effort  he 
reached  for  his  crutch  and  went  quietly  as  tie  could 
out  on  the  porch,  where  the  men  were  gathering 
more  closely  about  the  old  man,  whom  he  recog- 
nized as  Luigo  Castro,  half  servant,  wholly 
friend,  and  in  some  way  a  distant  relative  of 
Felipe  Darrett, — the  one  creature  who  had  come 
with  him  from  his  old  life  into  Hermosa. 

He  looked  inquiringly  at  the  old  man,  but  said 
nothing.  Mitchell,  the  man  who  had  inquired  at 
the  Hacienda  for  Darrett,  strode  across  the  patio 
and  caught  the  newcomer  by  the  shoulder. 

;'  What  the  devil  do  you  mean,  any  way?  "  he 
demanded,  a  slight  shake  emphasizing  his  words. 
"  Speak  up !  What  sort  of  justice  does  your  Don 
Felipe  want  of  the  valley?  And  why  doesn't  he 
come  for  it  himself?" 

"  He  no  is  coming  at  all — never  any  more, 

in 


Miss  Moccasins 

Sefior  Mitchell — never  any  more !  "  and  the 
old  man  broke  down  in  sob»,  looking  much 
like  an  old  woman  shaken  by  grief,  as  his 
long  hair  fell  over  his  eyes,  and  the  black  ker- 
chief from  his  head  had  slipped  down  about  his 
neck. 

One  of  the  men  whistled  meaningly. 

"  Vamosed,  has  he?     Lit  out?  " 

"  Dead !    The  bullet  in  the  heart !  " 

Old  Luigo  tossed  the  gray  locks  from  his  eyes 
and  fairly  hurled  the  shrill  statement  at  the  group. 
He  knew,  as  did  every  one,  how  thoroughly  Dar- 
rett  had  made  himself  disliked  by  the  ranchmen, 
and  Luigo's  words  held  almost  an  accusation  as 
he  glared  at  them. 

"  By  George!  "  said  Mitchell,  slowly,  "  I  take 
back  what  I  said  against  him.  After  all,  perhaps, 
he  had  too  much  of  his  father's  blood  in  him  to 
stand  the  certainty  that  he  had  killed  all  those 
people!  I  didn't  think  he  had  that  much  con- 
science in  him,  but  if  he  had,  I  take  off  my  hat!  " 

"  No — no — no!"  shrilled  the  old  Mexican 
instantly.  "  It  is  the  bad  people  of  the  valley — 
the  bad  people  who  hate  him — who  jealous — 
who  kill  him  alone  in  the  old  adobe  in  the  vine- 
yard !  Caramba  !  Did  I  but  find  that  man !  " 

The  shrill  tones  of  Luigo  reached  Galbraith, 
who  turned  restlessly  and  muttered  disjointed 
words,  but  only  Leighton  heard  him  call  again 

112 


Miss   Moccasins 

the  forbidden  name  "  Carmenita  " ;  and  reach- 
ing back,  he  carefully  closed  the  door. 

"  Now,  go  easy  and  speak  slow,"  advised 
Mitchell.  "  If  Barrett  is  dead,  let  us  hear  how  it 
happened.  You  told  me  this  morning  that  he  had 
gone  away;  then  you  didn't  give  me  quite  a 
straight  story — eh?  " 

Luigo  passed  his  hand  over  his  brow  as  though 
dizzy  and  bewildered  and  Leighton  reached  out 
his  hand  with  a  quick,  admonishing  gesture  as  the 
old  man  swayed  in  the  saddle. 

"  Help  him,  some  of  you !  Lift  him  off  and 
bring  him  here  in  the  shade.  Pete,  hand  us  the 
brandy.  Can't  you  see  that  the  old  fellow  is  done 
up?  Be  as — as  easy  as  you  can  with  him,  poor 
devil!" 

"  His  story  doesn't  seem  probable,"  said  Mitch- 
ell, doubtfully.  "  He  is  wild  and  imagines  the 
murder  part  of  it.  The  people  who  have  had 
most  reason,  the  flood  refugees,  haven't  had 
time." 

"  But  if  he's  dead,  no  matter  how,  you  will 
have  your  work  cut  out  for  you,"  said  one  of  the 
men  to  Leighton.  "  I  mean  straightening  the 
tangles  he  has  made  of  the  Gonzales  estate." 

'  Yes,  I  reckon  so,"  assented  Leighton,  regard- 
ing Luigo,  who  was  reviving  under  the  stimulants, 
and  staring  about  him  confusedly.  "  My  guard- 

s  113 


Miss  Moccasins 

ianship  of  the  senora  does  not  expire  until  she  is 
of  age." 

"  Whew !  I'm  glad  to  hear  it !  Old  Manuel 
Gonzales  had  a  level  head  in  spite  of  his  queer 
ways.  You  two  were  great  friends  ?  " 

"  Yes,  great  friends,"  repeated  Leighton, 
mechanically. 

"  Well,  you've  got  a  working  chance  to  prove 
it  now.  In  less  than  five  years  she  and  Darrett 
wouldn't  have  a  dollar,"  remarked  Mitchell. 
"  You've  struck  home  just  in  time  to  save  his 
daughter  from  what  would  seem  like  the  poor- 
house  to  her,  and  no  one  else  could  do  it." 

"  No,  I  reckon  not,"  agreed  Leighton  in  the 
same  thoughtful  way. 

And  Perenza,  who  had  heard  all  from  where 
she  sat,  struck  her  needles  vigorously  into  the 
knitting.  Don  Mac  was  not,  she  could  see,  giving 
his  thoughts  to  the  words  he  spoke.  He  was 
thinking,  no  doubt,  that  Dona  Delfina  was  now  a 
widow  and  that  she  would  again,  perhaps,  drive 
her  ponies  to  the  Mission  rancho  and  carry  him 
off,  as  of  old,  into  the  Mission  hills  for  the  men- 
enda — and — perhaps 

But  Perenza  had  no  patience  to  picture  the 
future  in  the  face  of  such  a  calamity.  She  was, 
perhaps,  the  only  one  in  the  valley,  except  Luigo, 
who  actually  wished  with  intensity  that  Felipe 
Darrett  was  alive  and  destined  to  a  ripe  old  age, 

114 


Miss  Moccasins 

that  Delfina  Gonzales  might  remain  safely  bound 
to  him  and  without  freedom  to  turn  her  eyes  to 
Don  Mac,  whom  any  woman,  even  a  fool,  would 
regret  after  a  year  with  that  handsome  mestizo. 

Luigo,  recovering  speech  and  breath,  was  tell- 
ing with  many  oaths  and  prayers  and  moans  how 
the  grand  gentlemen  from  the  railroad  had  come 
the  evening  before  for  the  big  dinner  to  which 
Don  Felipe  had  invited  them,  the  lawyers  and  all, 
to  sell  or  buy  the  land,  he  did  not  know  which; 
and  how  angry  they  were  when  Don  Felipe  failed 
to  meet  them,  his  guests,  at  all;  and  how  they 
had  all  gone  away  in  a  very  bad  humor,  only  the 
lawyer,  Serior  Atterly,  waiting  all  night,  and  send- 
ing many  telegrams;  and  how,  at  last,  all  the  men 
who  could  ride  were  called  in  and  given  horses 
to  circle  the  land  till  they  found  him;  for  no  one 
had  seen  him  on  any  road — anywhere!  By  the 
little  adobe  in  the  vineyard  they  had  come  on  his 
horse,  which  had  evidently  been  tied  there  many 
hours,  and  in  the  adobe 

Leighton,  sitting  in  his  big  lounging  chair  at 
Galbraith's  door,  listened  with  the  others  to  the 
halting,  pregnant  recital.  Mitchell  had  shot  one 
keen  glance  at  him  when  the  lawyers  and  railroad 
men  were  mentioned,  a  glance  he  read  and  under- 
stood, though  he  made  no  sign.  With  his  chin 
resting  on  his  hand,  he  was  following  each  inci- 
dent as  Luigo  pictured  it.  And  Perenza,  who 


Miss   Moccasins 

had  moved  near  and  stopped  beside  him,  failed 
to  attract  his  attention  until  she  plucked  him  by 
the  sleeve  and  forced  his  notice.  Then  he  turned 
his  eyes  slowly  towards  her,  but  did  not  speak. 
His  glance  only  gave  her  permission  to  do  so  and 
she  stooped  over  the  arm  of  the  chair  close  to 
his  ear. 

"  The  Senorita !  "  she  whispered  in  Spanish. 
"  Serior  Mitchell  saying  you  now  give  all  your 
time  to  the  Gonzales  ranches  to  save  all  the  mon- 
eys for  that  woman!  But  Senor  Mitchell  no 
knowing  all  about  that  Senorita,  how  she  is  doing 
your  work  and  is  killed — almost !  Si  she  is  sick 
like  that,  your  time  is  her  time  and  no  belong  to 
any  other  woman  at  all,  maybe  not  belong  even, 
to  your  own  self!  How  you  think?  " 


116 


VIII 

THE   INQUEST. 

Coroners'  inquests  are  not  nice  things,  and  the 
one  held  on  the  body  of  Felipe  Darrett  was 
strangely  and  unusually  unpleasant  for  several  rea- 
sons. The  evidence,  plainly  visible  to  the  jury, 
showed  that  Darrett,  loading  his  revolvers,  had 
by  some  accident  discharged  one  of  them  and  that 
the  bullet  had  penetrated  his  own  heart,  produc- 
ing, according  to  the  medical  diagnosis,  instant 
death. 

The  verdict  was  in  accordance  with  the  facts 
found,  and  all  the  official  work  of  the  case,  merely 
the  taking  of  the  testimony  of  his  own  household 
who  had  seen  him  ride  away,  and  that  of  the  man 
who  had  found  the  body,  was  very  simple  indeed. 
But  every  man  of  the  Hermosa  valley,  who  was 
present,  was  conscious  of  many  hidden  things  not 
brought  out  by  the  evidence,  and  which  none  of 
them  cared  particularly  to  investigate. 

It  was  true  that  the  revolvers  were  identified 
as  Barrett's  own, — the  house  was  on  the  Gon- 
zales  estate,  and  the  key  to  it  was  found  in  his 
pocket.  He  had  unlocked  the  door  to  enter.  He 
had  tied  his  horse  in  the  shed  under  cover  instead 
of  in  the  yard  without.  He  had  gone  there,  delib- 

117 


Miss  Moccasins 

erately,  for  some  reason  of  his  own.  What  that 
reason  was,  could  not  even  be  conjectured. 

One  man,  a  Mexican,  stated  that  he  had  seen 
a  woman  meet  Don  Felipe  in  that  garden  several 
weeks  ago.  But  the  coroner  stated  that  unless 
there  was  evidence  that  the  woman  had  been  there 
at  the  time  of  the  tragedy,  he  could  not  see  how 
she  could  be  connected  with  it.  However,  if  it 
could  be  proven  that  it  was  Mr.  Barrett's  custom 
to  ride  to  that  particularly  isolated  house  to  meet 
the  woman  in  question,  it  might  be  as  well  to  send 
for  her.  The  coroner  was  a  man  from  Olivette, 
ten  miles  away,  and  knew  nothing  of  the  gossip 
or  factional  strife  of  the  district. 

The  men  looked  at  each  other,  and  as  one  of 
the  Mexican  workmen  was  about  to  speak, 
Leighton  checked  him. 

'  The  girl  and  the  child  are  at  my  home,  Mr. 
Jackson.  The  girl  was  drowned  in  the  Her- 
mosa  flood.  All  of  these  men  know  that  it  would 
not  have  been  possible  for  her  to  be  here,  and  I 
think  most  of  them  would  rather  not  hear  her 
name  dragged  into  this." 

"  That's  so. — Her  baby  was  only  a  few  days 
old. — Likely  she  died  before  he  did,"  were  some 
of  the  comments,  and  they  looked  from  one  to  the 
other  with  renewed  interest. 

"  If  this  is  so, — and  he  was  indirectly  the  cause 
of  her  death,  you  know, — this  very  fact  may  give  a 

118 


Miss   Moccasins 

clue  as  to  whether  there  could  have  been  any  one 
with  Mr.  Darrett  at  the  time  of  his  death — any 

friend    of    the    girl's,    sweetheart,     or    relative, 
r  »» 

"  The  girl  and  her  grandmother  were  utterly 
alone  in  the  world,"  interrupted  Leighton.  "  Both 
died  in  the  flood.  Most  of  the  men  here  have 
known  her  all  her  life.  Have  any  one  among  you 
ever  heard  any  man's  name  mentioned  as  her 
lover?  Any  man  who  would  be  likely  to  follow 
Felipe  Darrett  for  revenge?  " 

"  That's  so !  "  stated  one  of  the  others.  "  Only 
one  man's  name  has  ever  touched  her,  and  there 
he  is!  "  And  he  pointed  to  the  rigid  form  on  the 
floor. 

"  Ah — h!"  the  coroner  nodded  comprehend- 
ingly.  "And  there  is  a  child?  "  He  polished  his 
spectacles  thoughtfully  for  a  moment  and  then 
continued:  'Well,  gentlemen,  this  gives  a  new 
interest  to  the  case,  but  no  light  to  go  by  except 
a  choice  of  conclusions.  Did  Mr.  Darrett  acci- 
dently  discharge  the  weapon  causing  his  death,  or 
did  he, — while  laboring  under  the  horror  and 
remorse  of  the  deaths  caused  by  the  flood,  and  of 
that  one  death  in  particular,  the  death  of  the 
mother  of  his  child, — did  he,  overcome  by  the 
horror  of  the  situation,  deliberately  seek  this 
retired  spot,  the  place  of  their  meetings,  and  inten- 
tionally fire  the  shot  causing  his  own  death  ?  This 

119 


Miss   Moccasins 

is  the  only  visible  reason  yet  given  for  his  pres- 
ence in  this  particular  isolated  place." 

"  Yes,"  drawled  one  of  the  younger  men,  "  but 
you  would  need  a  more  visible  reason  than  that  if 
you  had  ever  known  Felipe  Darrett.  Remorse? 
Not  any!  The  little  girl  would  have  starved  to 
death  at  the  last  but  for  a  man  I  know.  And  no 
matter  who  died,  he  would  keep  on  living,  you 
bet,  as  long  as  people  would  let  him !  " 

'  The  man  is  dead,"  said  Leighton  curtly. 
"  Give  him  the  benefit  of  the  doubt." 

"  Exactly,"  assented  the  coroner.  u  Individu- 
ally and  privately  we  can  do  all  that,  but  officially 
and  publicly  we  can't  advance  that  theory  as  a 
cause  of  death.  Only  the  seeking  of  this  isolated 
spot  suggests  suicide.  All  the  other  evidence  goes 
to  strengthen  the  accident  theory,  and  a  verdict 
according  to  the  facts  as  found." 

Thus  it  was  that  the  question  was  decided,  and 
the  body  of  Felipe  Darrett  was  lifted  and  carried 
out  of  the  low  door,  followed  by  old  Luigo,  weep- 
ing no  longer,  but  silent,  sullen  and  suspicious  of 
the  Americans,  coroner  and  all ! 

His  own  idea,  repeatedly  insisted  upon,  was 
that  Don  Felipe  had  gone  to  meet  some  one,  to 
fight  some  one,  and  for  that  reason  had  taken 
the  pistols. 

He  had  been  very  angry  all  day  and  in  the 
afternoon  he  had  sent  Luigo  for  the  cartridges. 

1 20 


Miss  Moccasins 

When  Luigo  got  back,  Don  Felipe  was  walking 
on  the  terrace,  impatient,  while  Roderiguez  held 
his  horse;  but  as  soon  as  he  detected  Luigo,  he 
mounted  at  once,  reached  for  the  cartridges, 
looked  at  his  watch,  and  galloped  away.  That  was 
late  in  the  afternoon.  Luigo  was  sure  he  rode  to 
meet  some  one. 

But  the  coroner  and  jury  had  alike  weighed 
Luigo's  personal  opinions  lightly.  His  black,  fer- 
ret-like eyes  had  peered  at  each  and  every  one  of 
them  with  sour  suspicion.  To  him  the  inquest 
was  a  farce  and  an  insult  to  Don  Felipe.  Why 
should  that  girl  and  her  brat  be  flung  at  the  dead 
man  in  that  manner?  Caramba!  If  a  caballero 
stole  an  hour  with  a  girl  some  lucky  night,  must 
he  feed  her  and  her  relations  forever?  He  cursed 
the  American  ways  and  the  Americans  themselves, 
and  spat  upon  the  memory  of  their  ancestors. 

Leighton  had  shown  him  more  consideration 
than  the  others — that  was  Leighton's  way — but 
even  he  had  not  secured  the  justice  Luigo  had 
hoped  for,  and  crushed  and  hopeless,  the  old  man 
walked  his  cow  pony  in  the  wake  of  the  under- 
taker's wagon  along  the  road  to  the  Hacienda 
Hermosa. 

Then  a  strange  thing  occurred.  As  the  caval- 
cade wound  slowly  down  from  the  vineyard, 
another  procession  passed  along  the  road  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill; — so  large  a  procession  indeed 

121 


Miss  Moccasins 

that  it  appeared  as  if  the  entire  valley  had  turned 
out  in  carriages,  on  horseback  and  afoot.  Many 
of  the  pedestrians  were  hatless  and  shoeless,  as 
they  had  escaped  from  the  flood  of  the  canon; 
they  were  the  refugees  and  their  friends,  following 
with  reverent  steps  the  bodies  of  Carlotta  Alverez 
and  her  granddaughter,  Carmenita,  as  they  were 
borne  to  a  resting  place  within  the  exclusive 
grounds  of  the  Gonzales  cemetery.  The  dense- 
ness  of  the  shrubbery  had  prevented  the  two  pro- 
cessions coming  in  sight  of  each  other  until  they 
simultaneously  reached  the  junction  of  the  two 
roads. 

The  men  bearing  the  body  of  Carmenita 
scowled  meaningly  at  each  other  as  they  realized 
the  situation  and  quickened  their  steps  to  pass  the 
meeting  of  the  ways  first;  but  the  undertaker 
leaped  from  the  wagon  and  hastened  in  advance. 

"  One  minute,  my  man,"  he  said,  seeing  the 
barefooted  Mexicans  and  their  burden,  "  one  min- 
ute, if  you  please,  until  we  reach  the  gates  of  the 
Hacienda.  You  must  give  way  for  the  dead  mas- 
ter of  Hermosa !  " 

The  old  priest  stepped  from  a  carriage  of  the 
Mission  rancho  and  walked  to  the  head  of  the 
column.  He  was  very  old  and  his  face  paled  with 
excitement  as  he  leaned  on  a  cane  and  raised  the 
crucifix  with  a  gesture  of  supreme  authority  over 
the  black  draped  bier. 

122 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Give  way,  you,  to  that  master's  victim !  "  he 
commanded  steadily.  "  Go  on,  my  children,  I 
will  wait  till  all  have  passed." 

The  men  of  the  jury  and  the  witnesses,  all  who 
knew  the  story  of  those  two,  stood  uncovered 
until  the  long  procession  filed  by,  and  Leighton, 
dismounting  with  some  difficulty,  obeyed  a  sign 
from  the  priest  and  entered  the  carriage  with  the 
aged  man,  who  was  trembling  visibly  under  the 
nervous  strain  of  the  encounter. 

"  It  is  not  for  us  to  judge  either  the  living  or 
the  dead,"  he  said,  sinking  back  among  the  cush- 
ions; "but  neither  is  it  well  for  these,  my  bare- 
footed children  in  the  dust,  to  feel  that  wealth 
makes  distinction  even  after  death." 

Their  carriage  was  the  last.  After  them,  the 
men  of  the  jury  moved  their  horses  into  couples 
and  brought  up  the  rear,  leaving  only  the  under- 
taker, the  coroner,  and  Luigo  to  follow  the  body 
of  Felipe  Darrett,  the  man  who  had  ruled  like  a 
young  sultan  over  their  thousands  of  acres  for 
one  brief,  calamitous  year. 


123 


IX 

DONA  DELFINA. 

On  the  terrace  of  the  Hacienda,  a  carriage  had 
just  halted,  and  a  man  and  woman,  stepping  from 
it,  stopped  at  the  entrance  to  the  court  and  stared 
at  the  immense  procession  entering  the  great  gates 
of  the  house  park.  The  woman  held  a  lace- 
trimmed  dot  of  a  handkerchief  to  her  eyes,  and 
rested  her  fingers  appealingly  on  the  man's  coat 
sleeve. 

"Isn't  it  pathetic?"  she  murmured.  "All 
those  poor  people!  Even  when  my  father  died 
there  was  no  such — such  demonstration.  The 
poor  souls,  some  of  them  are  barefooted!  How 
devoted  of  them !  And  Felipe,  you  know,  had 
only  been  among  them  for  a  year." 

'  There  certainly  does  appear  to  be  a  great 
number  of  people,"  agreed  her  companion. 
"Shall  we  go  in?  You  can't  possibly  see  them 
now,  Mrs.  Barrett.  They  are  likely  to  be  as  de- 
monstrative as  they  are  affectionate — and — itwould 
be  entirely  too  exhausting  for  you.  Your  own 
health  and  nerves  must  be  considered,  my  dear 
lady.  We  had  better  go  in." 

"  Just — just  as  you  say,  Mr.  Atterly/*  agreed 
the  widow.  "  I  really  don't  know  what  I  should 

124 


Miss   Moccasins 

have  done  this  day  without  you,  your  advice  and 
sympathy.  To  think — just  to  think !  I  should 
have  had  to  drive  home  in  a  hired  carriage  and 
alone,  but  for  you !  I  never  shall  forget  it, 
never!  " 

'  The  servants  were  so  distracted "  began 

Mr.  Atterly. 

"  Oh,  the  servants  were  not  to  blame,  of  course; 
they  have  no  heads  on  their  shoulders !  But  Mac 
Leighton  you  tell  me  is  back,  and  he  has  always 
managed  affairs  here,  even  the  most  trifling !  And 
now,  when  something  really  awful  has  happened, 
he  leaves  me  to  get  home  any  way  I  can." 

'  They  say  he  was  crippled  trying  to  warn  the 
workmen." 

"  Crippled!  A  crippled  foot  needn't  affect  his 
brain !  He  always — why,  where  in  the  world  are 
those  people  going?" 

They  had  entered  the  sala  and  from  one  of  the 
deep  windows  she  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  the 
procession  along  the  lower  drive.  They  had 
entered  the  gates,  but  instead  of  approaching  the 
Hacienda,  they  were  moving  slowly  along  the  way 
leading  to  the  far  corner  of  the  great  park 
enclosed  by  Manuel  Gonzales  as  the  estate  of  the 
dead. 

"Most  peculiar!"  agreed  Mr.  Atterly.  "It 
can't  be  that  they  mean  to " 

"  Mean  to  bury  him  without  even  waiting  for 

125 


Miss  Moccasins 

me  to  see  him ! "  sobbed  the  widow,  bewil- 
dered and  indignant.  "It  is  an  outrage ! 
You  see  how  I  am  ignored,  Mr.  Atterly! 

You  see  how  I  need "  But  her  needs  were 

smothered  in  the  handkerchief,  while  Mr.  Atterly 
stared  in  perplexity  from  the  sobbing  woman  to 
the  slowly  moving  line  of  people,  not  half  of 
whom  had  yet  entered  the  gate. 

A  maid  was  silently  removing  her  mistress's 
wraps  and  very  chic  black  hat,  at  the  same  time 
slipping  a  fresh  handkerchief  into  her  limp  hand. 

"  The  seriora  will  want  some  tea?  I  will  have 
it  immediately,"  she  said  soothingly,  and  hurried 
past  the  staring  Mexican  servants,  who  had  gath- 
ered from  every  corner  to  watch  the  arrival  of 
the  senora  and  the  lawyer,  who  had  been  Don 
Felipe's  most  constant  companion  of  late.  The 
Mexicans  stared  at  each  other,  half  frightened  as 
they  heard  her  angry  tone  and  her  sobs. 

Never  could  they  remember  her  coming  with- 
out a  party  of  gay  friends.  She  frankly  detested 
country  life  and  only  found  it  tolerable  when  she 
could  bring  as  much  of  the  city  as  possible  with 
her;  and  her  coming  always  meant  many  beds  to 
make  and  much  cooking.  For  a  funeral,  of  course, 
all  the  friends  would  come,  besides  all  the  rela- 
tives and  all  the  connections  of  either  side  of  the 
house. 

Thus  it  had  been  decided  in  the  kitchen  the 

126 


Miss  Moccasins 

night  before,  and  no  one  had  slept  a  wink  since 
because  of  the  preparations.  Every  bed  in  the 
house  was  ready  for  an  occupant  that  minute. 
The  chickens  were  not  only  killed,  but  ready  for 
the  roasting  pan.  Marta,  the  cook,  had  a  table 
half  across  the  kitchen  heaped  with  cakes  of  many 
kinds,  and  the  custards  browning  in  the  pans.  The 
tables  were  lengthened  to  their  extreme  limit  in 
the  dining-room,  the  plates  were  already  laid,  and 
all  for  the  Senora  Darrett,  who  knew  nothing  of 
the  delicate  differences  of  flavorings,  and  for  the 
lean  lawyer  of  the  railroad  who  had  that  morning 
asked — Mother  of  God! — for  a  cup  of  boiled 
'  water,  and  a  dry  toast  for  his  breakfast ! 

Marta  could  not  leave  the  oven  and  the  rest 
were  afraid  to  return  and  report  that  not  one  soul 
besides  the  seriora  and  the  lawyer  had  come.  And 
they  huddled  together  like  frightened  sheep  in 
the  court,  and  heard  the  exclamations  and  sobs 
of  their  sefiora,  while  the  maid,  "  Mees  Ana," 
swept  past  them  with  the  scorn  she  would  have 
given  pigs,  and  went  to  see  personally  to  the  tea. 

"  I — I  really  beg  of  you !  "  remonstrated  the 
lawyer,  who  was  conscious  of  the  peering  eyes 
and  helpless  as  to  the  sobbing  woman.  "  If  there 
is  anything  I  can  do— anything  I  " 

"  Don't  go  away.  I  simply  can't  be  alone ! 
Send  some  one  to  tell  them  I  am  here,  tell 
them " 

127 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Certainly,  at  once !  Here,  you  fellow  with 
the  sash,  run  quickly!  Tell  them  that  Mrs.  Dar- 
rett  orders  that  they  bring  the — the — remains  here 
to  the  house!  Do  you  hear?"  he  demanded,  as 
Roderiguez  stared  at  him  with  wild  eyes.  '  There 
is  to  be  no  funeral  to-day,  tell  them  at  once !  " 

The  man  slouched  away  a  few  yards  and 
halted.  His  comrades,  male  and  female,  fell  back 
a  few  paces,  ready  to  resume  their  household 
duties  if  the  stranger  should  assign  them  also  to 
new  and  unwelcome  tasks. 

Mr.  Atterly's  thin  face  took  on  an  added  degree 
of  color. 

"Why  do  you  not  go?"  he  demanded  with 
concentrated  wrath.  "  Do  you  not  understand?  " 

"  I  no  going,"  stated  Roderiguez,  resting  him- 
self sullenly  on  the  base  of  a  marble  urn.  "  The 
Padre  he  no  like;  he  maybe  sending  my  soul  to 
hell,  si  I  stop  the  dead  body  after  the  prayers 
being  said.  The  senora,  she  no  knowing  anything 
about  that — she " 

'There!"  cried  the  senora  herself,  as  she 
heard  this  opinion  through  the  open  window. 
'  You  see  why  I  wanted  to  sell  the  horrid  place ! 
No  money  will  pay  these  pigs  to  be  obedient  and 
respectful !  Ana  !  Ana !  My  hat !  This  is  an 
outrage!  an  insult!  I  shall  stop  that  crazy  old 
priest  and  let  him  see  who  is  mistress  of  Her- 
mosa!  " 

128 


Miss   Moccasins 

Ana,  entering  with  the  tea,  had  to  put  it  aside 
and  find  the  hat  with  its  sweeping  folds  of  silken 
veil,  and  fasten  it  quickly  on  the  fluffy  blond  hair, 
while  Mr.  Atterly  attempted  in  vain  to  dissuade 
her  from  going  personally  to  meet  the  people  of 
the  funeral.  If  one  Roderiguez  was  not  to  be 
moved  by  her  wishes,  what  could  one  hope  from 
a  mob  of  this  kind? 

And  Roderiguez,  watching  her  cross  the  sward 
leaning  on  the  ever  ready  arm  of  the  lawyer,  first 
crossed  himself  and  then  grinned  as  he  saw  them 
take  the  short  cut  across  the  terrace  to  head  off 
the  funeral  train. 

It  was  farther  than  it  looked,  and  at  the  stone 
wall  where  the  fountain  was  they  must  make  a 
detour.  Roderiguez,  who  knew  each  foot  of  it, 
reckoned  that  they  would  reach  the  drive  about 
the  time  the  last  carriage  passed,  and  he  grinned 
again  at  the  fancy  of  how  the  hot  water  and  toast 
man  would  look  making  the  race  to  the  head  of 
the  procession  to  stop  it,  or  else  how  he  would 
look  on  foot,  with  his  long  legs  and  black  clothes 
following  in  the  dust !  It  would  also  not  be  pleas- 
ant for  the  senora.  But  Roderiguez  rolled  a 
cigarette,  and  waited,  and  did  not  care  much  for 
the  senora  either.  She  had  been  under  a  roof, 
safe  alongside  a  good  cooked  dinner,  and  Madre 
de  dios!  and  why  not  stay  where  one  is  well  off? 

Mr.  Atterly  lifted  an  imperious  hand  to  the  first 

129 


Miss  Moccasins 

driver  who  came  within  hailing  distance.  But  the 
man  only  stared  and  guided  his  horses  carefully 
that  the  wheels  might  not  over-reach  on  the  vel- 
vety green  of  the  park.  The  episode  of  the  under- 
taker near  the  vineyard  had  been  too  recent,  and 
the  authority  of  Father  Rey  too  absolute  for  him 
to  halt  now  for  some  stranger.  Perhaps  the 
stranger  and  the  woman  with  the  black  veil 
wanted  to  ride,  but  he  had  all  the  load  his  horses 
could  pull,  and  the  strangers  had  good  shoes  to 
walk  with ! 

The  senora  gasped  with  annoyance  and  clung 
to  the  lawyer's  arm  appealingly. 

"What  an  outrage — an  outrage!"  she  said 
fiercely.  "  I — they  are  making  me  ill.  I  shall 
faint!  One  would  think  I  had  no  rights  to  my 
own  husband!  Oh,  make  them  stop — make  them 
stop!" 

Mr.  Atterly  did  so,  but  he  did  it  by  stepping 
squarely  in  front  of  a  carriage  team,  and  catching 
them  by  the  bits.  The  senora,  still  clinging  to  his 
arm,  stood  beside  him  in  the  middle  of  the  drive, 
half  sobbing  and  hysterical. 

"What  is  this?  What  is  this?"  demanded 
Father  Rey  from  the  carriage  window.  The  law- 
yer held  the  horses  while  the  driver  tugged  at  the 
lines  and  swore  in  Spanish. 

"  It  is  Mrs.  Barrett's  orders  that  this  line  of 
people  stop  where  they  are  and  that  the  body  be 

130 


Miss  Moccasins 

taken  to  the  Hacienda  before  burial.  The  sootier 
some  of  you  ride  ahead  and  stop  the  others,  the 
less  inconvenience  and  distress  of  mind  you  will 
cause  her." 

"Distress  of  mind!"  was  repeated  in  deeper 
tones  from  the  priest's  carriage.  "  Let  me  see  this 
gentleman,  father.  I  can't  twist  myself  across  to 
that  window  because  of  my  crippled  foot. 
There!"  he  exclaimed  as  he  finally  reached  the 
window,  from  which  the  lawyer  was  visible. 
"  May  we  ask,  sir,  who  you  are  and  why  this 
order  comes  from  Mrs.  Darrett?  " 

'  Why  it  comes !  "  cried  the  widow  hysterically. 
"  Mac  Leighton,  have  you  no  sort  of  considera- 
tion left?  I  supposed  you  were  injured,  helpless, 
and  it  is  you  who  allow  this  outrage!  I  never  in 
the  world  expected  to  find  you  ignoring  my  rights 
in  this  way,  allowing  these  people " 

"  Mrs.  Darrett,  my  dear  lady !  "  said  Mr. 
Atterly,  pressing  her  arm,  for  her  voice  had  grown 
shrill  in  anger  and  the  men  on  horseback  were 
moving  closer  and  regarding  this  scene  curiously. 

"  I  will  speak.  It  is  an  outrage!  "  Then  she 
waved  her  hand  as  in  dismissal  of  both  Leighton 
and  the  priest.  "  This  gentleman  is  Mr.  Atterly, 
my  business  manager  in  the  future!  He  knows 
my  wishes!  I  give  him  full  power  to  enforce 
them !  "  And  she  was  turning  away  defiantly, 


Miss  Moccasins 

when   Leighton    opened   the    carriage   door   and 
faced  her  on  the  drive. 

"  Wait  a  bit,  Delfina,"  he  suggested  in  a  kindly, 
tolerant,  yet  decided  way.  "  Mr.  Atterly  may  be 
your  manager  after  my  guardianship  is  over — 
but " 

"  Guardianship !  "  she  ejaculated,  "  when  I'm 
married !  " 

"  But  since  under  your  father's  will  you  are  not 
yet  of  age  to  act  with  regard  to  the  management 
of  the  estate,  you  will  have  to  put  up  with  me  until 
then.  Father  Rey  will  tell  you  some  other  time 
why  Hermosa  owes  those  women  grave  room; 
and  I  owe  it  to  your  father  to  see  that  Hermosa 
pays  its  debts." 

"  Grave  room !  Those  women !  What  women  ? 
It  is  Felipe  I  want  brought  home,  Felipe  I  want." 

"  Mrs.  Darrett,"  said  Mr.  Mitchell,  whose 
horse  had  pressed  close  to  the  carriage,  "  there 
is  some  mistake  in  your  mind  about  all  this. 
Felipe  will  reach  the  house  before  you;  that's  the 
undertaker's  wagon  just  going  up  the  grade.  This 
is  the  funeral  of  Carolina  Alverez  and  her  grand- 
child, Carmenita,  who  were  killed  by  the  flood  of 
the  new  Hermosa  dam." 

Delfina  cast  one  appalled  look  towards  the  soli- 
tary spring  wagon  in  which  the  undertaker  and 
coroner  were  moving  leisurely  up  the  drive,  fol- 
lowed by  the  bent  figure  of  old  Luigo  on  the  cow 

132 


Miss  Moccasins 

pony.  Then  her  eyes  followed  incredulously  the 
line  of  vehicles  and  horsemen,  reaching  far  around 
the  bend  of  the  drive  and  out  of  sight.  The 
funeral  of  some  obscure  Mexicans ! 

As  a  realization  of  the  contrast  came  to  her  she 
gasped  for  breath,  articulated  but  one  intense, 
withering  word,  "  Outrage!  "  and  then  sank  back 
into  the  arms  of  Mr.  Atterly  in  a  very  real  faint. 


133 


X 

DELFINA  AND  DON  MAC  HAVE  AN  INTERVIEW. 

The  days  to  follow  were  days  of  storm  and 
stress  to  Delfina  Darrett.  She  had  stormed  indig- 
nantly at  Leighton's  interference  in  her  affairs, 
had  sold  Hermosa  outright  to  Mr.  Atterly's 
clients  and  had  been  furious  when  Leighton 
showed  the  latter  that  Mrs.  Darrett's  signature 
could  give  him  no  title.  Upon  which,  Mr. 
Atterly  tried  to  spell-bind  Leighton  with  visions 
of  what  a  god-send  to  posterity  their  proposed 
changes  would  make  in  the  valley. 

Leighton  insinuated  that  he  was  not  particu- 
larly interested  in  Atterly's  posterity,  at  which  the 
mistress  of  Hermosa  had  declared  that  Mac 
Leighton  was  insulting  her  friends,  and  that  for 
her  part  she  meant  to  leave  the  country  and  not 
put  foot  in  it  again  until  she  was  legally  of  age, — 
then  she  would  show  Mac  Leighton!  In  fact, 
she  did  go.  But  her  beloved  Frisco  proved  a 
tantalizing  place  in  which  to  take  up  one's  abode 
when  in  full  mourning.  She  wrote  daily  letters 
of  reproach  to  Leighton  for  two  weeks  and 
received  in  reply  one  note  as  follows: 

My  Dear  Delfina  :—- 

I  have  much  to  do  at  present  trying  to  tie  up 
your  estate  so  that  you  and  Mr.  Atterly  will  have 

134 


Miss  Moccasins 

good  mental  exercise  trying  to  untie  it.  In  fact, 
I  have  too  much  to  do  to  spare  time  for  talking 
about  it, — my  only  excuse  for  not  replying  in 
detail  to  your  questions.  Of  course,  since  you  are 
more  comfortable  among  your  friends  of  the  city, 
I  would  advise  you  to  remain  there. 

Yours  faithfully,  Mac. 

Whereupon,  Delfina  took  the  next  train  for 
Hermosa. 

And  when,  after  some  delay,  Leighton  respond- 
ed  to  her  written  request  carried  by  Luigo  Castro 
to  the  Old  Mission,  he  found  her  walking  rest- 
lessly up  and  down  the  sala,  where  she  received 
him  with  a  petulant  smile. 

"  You  are  looking  remarkably  well,  Delfina, 
but  you  lack  at  least  two  inches  for  tragedy. 
Come,  sit  down  and  confess  how  many  different 
kinds  of  a  brute  you  think  me.  After  that's  off 
your  mind  you'll  feel  better." 

Delfina  was  making  a  sweeping  turn  of  the 
sala,  dragging  much  graceful  dull  black  flouncing 
in  her  wake.  But  at  Leighton's  words  she  rested 
herself  abruptly  with  the  width  of  the  gorgeous 
room  between  them. 

"  What  has  come  over  you,  Mac  Leighton?" 
she  demanded.  "  Mexico  has  made  a  different 
person  of  you !  " 

'  You  should  not  quarrel  with  that,"  he  ob- 
served; "  you  did  not  like  the  old  person  so  well." 

135 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  At  least  he  was  not  a  stubborn  sphinx  to  deal 
with ;  one  could  argue  him  out  of  his  crazy  notions 
sometimes!  " 

"  No — no,  you  couldn't,  Delfina,"  he  said, 
crossing  over  and  drawing  a  chair  beside  her.  "  I 
was  weak  and  careless  and  gave  in  to  you  often 
because  things  did  not  matter  so  much  then.  But 
now — well — if  I  talked  until  the  moon  rose,  I 
couldn't  tell  you  all  the  tangles  of  the  estate  and 
I  don't  mean  to  try.  It  was  in  good  running  order 
a  year  ago  when  I  left  it.  I  should  have  held  on 
with  a  tighter  grip  than  ever  when  you  married, 
I  should  have  remembered,  first,  last  and  all  the 
time,  my  promise  to  your  father.  Well,  I  didn't! 
I  took  a  lot  of  things  for  granted  and  left  it  in 
your  hands!  In  a  short  time  it  goes  back  into 
your  hands — and  Mr.  Atterly's !  And  it  must  go 
back  in  the  condition  it  was  when  I  let  go.  That 
is  why  I  can't  listen  to  your  arguments — or  Mr. 
Atterly's.  Roderiguez  tells  me  he  is  here  again?  " 

She  flashed  a  sharp  glance  at  him  and  slipped 
some  rings  on  and  off  her  fingers  before  replying. 

"  Is  it  on  his  account  you  are  so — so  impossi- 
ble ?  "  she  inquired.  And  Leighton  smiled. 

"  Not  exactly.  Still,  I  tell  you  frankly,  Delfina, 
I  wish  I  could  be  sure  he  had  a  substantial  wife 
at  home  somewhere." 

"  Mac,  how  dare  you  ?  And  poor  Felipe " 

Her  handkerchief  smothered  her  murmured  sen- 

136 


Miss  Moccasins 

tences  for  a  moment,  and  then  she  turned  on  him 
angrily.  "  You  have  not  one  particle  of  feeling!  " 

"  Not  much,"  he  agreed,  "  but  neither  has  Mr. 
Atterly.  He  is  about  the  cleverest  man,  Delfina, 
you  have  had  to  deal  with.  He  had  Felipe  beauti- 
fully tangled  up  in  financial  matters,  thinking  he 
could  scoop  in  this  place  for  a  song,  and  he  fell 
very  flat  when  he  learned  that  neither  your  signa- 
ture nor  Felipe's  counted  for  a  penny.  In  fact 
your  good  friend,  Mr.  Atterly,  is  very  much  out 
of  pocket  because  of  his  friendship  and  he  is  dip- 
lomatically waiting  until  the  tide  turns,  that  is, 
until  you  are  of  age.  He  may  try  to  marry  you 
before  that  to  make  sure  of  you;  but  he  will  be 
your  devoted  cavalier  at  any  rate  until  you  sign 
away  the  Hermosa  for  his  promise  to  pay;  and 
he  will  make  a  fortune  out  of  the  Hacienda  as  a 
sanitarium." 

Delfina,  justly  indignant,  drew  her  flouncings 
closer,  and  glanced  past  him  in  disdain. 

'  You  were  unfeeling  before ;  now  you  are  in- 
decent! No  one  marries  under  a  year!  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  they  do,  Delfina;  that  is  why  I  am 
hoping  Atterly  is  a  family  man." 

"I  shouldn't  listen  to  you!  I  positively 
shouldn't!  One  would  think  that  I  never  had  an 
offer  that  was  not  made  to  my  money !  " 

'  Yes,  you  have  had,  and  you  will  have  more," 
he  remarked,  smilingly;  "  but  you  won't  listen  to 

137 


Miss  Moccasins 

them,  Delfina.  It's  a  matter  of  temperament. 
The  man  with  the  money  eye  appeals  to  you  and 
the  man  who  hasn't  it,  doesn't — that's  all !  " 

"  Did  you  come  here  to  insult  me?" 

"  No,  indeed !  I  came  here  because  you  sent 
for  me.  You  have  not  yet  told  me  why." 

"  I've  forgotten.  How  can  one  think  with 
such  shocking  suggestions  in  their. ears?  I  had  a 
dozen  things  to  say  to  you.  But  I  am  utterly 
wretched  and  you  make  me  more  so,  and  you 
know  it.  Atterly!  If  you  had  acted  like  your 
natural  self  that  awful  day,  I  should  have  forgot- 
ten Atterly' s  name  by  this  time  !  But  you — every- 
body— forgot  me,  but  him.  He  was  the  only  one 
to  sympathize  with  me  in  the  least !  " 

She  was  crying  by  this  time  and  Leighton  arose 
and  walked  to  the  window  looking  out  on  the 
wonderful  semi-tropical  gardens  he  had  helped 
Gonzales  plan.  It  was  not  so  very  long  ago  and 
the  old  man  had  planned  each  arbor  and  each 
fountain  with  the  thought  of  Delfina  always  in  his 
mind.  He  had  worshipped  and  spoiled  her  al- 
ways,— the  pretty  little  yellow-haired,  petted 
child!  Perhaps  Leighton  had  helped  him  spoil 
her  in  those  days;  he  thought  it  quite  probable, 
and  coming  back,  he  touched  her  kindly  on  the 
shoulder. 

"  Look  here,  Delfina,  don't  let  us  quarrel.  I've 
got  to  do  the  thing  you  object  to.  You'll  get 

'38 


Miss   Moccasins 

over  that  when  you  are  older  and  realize  the  situ- 
ation. I  know  you  hate  the  country,  and  always 
did;  but  you  have  a  town  home,  you  don't  have 
to  live  here  just  because  you  own  it.  But  don't 
be  persuaded  to  sell  it  at  the  figures  Felipe  con- 
sidered. The  place  is  a  gold  mine  if  rightly  man- 
aged. All  those  young  orchards,  only  an  expense 
until  now,  are  commencing  to  bear  and  by  next 
year  they  will  bring  a  small  fortune  in  themselves. 
Gonzales  knew  what  he  was  doing  when  he  planted 
them,  and  the  place  was  the  pride  of  his  heart." 

"  Oh  he  had  lived  in  the  diggings  of  Mexico 
all  his  life,  so  of  course  it  was  grand  to  him!  " 
agreed  Gonzales'  daughter  from  behind  her  hand- 
kerchief. "  And  the  people  have  treated  him  dif- 
ferently :  they  didn't  make  him  miserable  with  their 
spying  eyes  and  their  disobedience.  They  were 
all  set  against  Felipe  and  me  from  the  first;  we 
had  an  awful  time  with  them !  No  wonder  he 
tried  to  sell  it  and  get  away;  I  wanted  to  go  as 
much  as  he  did!  And  Mr.  Atterly  was  kind  to 
arrange  it,  Felipe  trusted  him,  Felipe " 

"  All  right,"  said  Leighton,  "  I'll  agree  that  he 
is  a  philanthropist  of  the  highest  order,  if  you 
only  don't  cry." 

'  You — it's  on  your  account  the — the  natives 
act  as  they  do  here,"  she  sobbed.  '  They  blamed 
us  for  your  going  away!  " 

"  Oh  no,  don't  you  believe  it !  " 

139 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  They  do !  They  fairly  hated  Felipe !  Luigo 
is  right;  some  of  them  did  kill  him!  Oh,  you 
needn't  stare  as  if  I  was  crazy,  I  know  they  did. 
Felipe  never,  never  would  have  done  it  himself! 
And  as  if  I  had  not  enough  to  bear,  that  old  priest 
had  to  tell  me  about  the  awful  girl  you  had  buried 
here,  that  I'll  never  forgive!"  she  declared  sitting 
suddenly  erect  and  facing  him. 

"  Softly,  softly,  Delfina !  Don't  let  us  go  back 
to  that." 

"  Luigo  says  you  are  taking  care  of  her  child; 
is  that  true?" 

"  I  haven't  exactly  turned  infant's  nurse  yet," 
he  remarked,  "  but  the  child  is  up  at  the  Mission. 
There  are  several  other  children  there,  some  of 
their  mothers,  too,  waiting  till  we  can  build  homes 
to  replace  those  lost  in  the  flood.  You  did  not 
send  for  me  because  you  cared  to  hear  about  them, 
did  you?" 

He  smiled  down  on  her  indulgently,  but  she 
maintained  her  severe  attitude. 

"  If  you  were  at  all  like  your  old  self,  I  should 
not  need  to  send  for  you,  or  question  you  either; 
but — "  and  she  suddenly  looked  at  him  direct 
and  disapprovingly — "  who  is  the  '  Senorita  '  who 
is  seen  in  your  gardens  these  days?  Is  she  an 
importation  from  Mexico?  You  ought  to  know 
people  are  talking." 

140 


Miss   Moccasins 

She  saw  his  face  change  slightly,  a  flush,  a 
tightening  of  the  jaws. 

"  She  is  a  school  teacher,  a  lady  injured  in 
the  flood,"  he  said  at  last.  "  She  is  not  entirely 
recovered;  her  relatives  have  not  yet  come  for 
her." 

"  Oh,  then  she  has  relatives?  The  Mexicans 
are  telling  some  queer  things  about  her." 

"Queer?" 

;i  Well,  that  no  one  knows  where  she  came 
from,  but  that  she  was  first  seen  on  your  rancho 
riding  your  horse,  the  day  you  arrived  from  Mexi- 
co !  Of  course  the  coincidence  was  remarked,  es- 
pecially since  it  occurred  in  a  bachelor's  establish- 
ment." 

She  laughed  lightly  and  looked  at  him  with 
half-closed  eyes. 

"  Don't  get  angry,  Mac,  it's  so  unusual  with 
you — and  a  bad  sign !  Blushing  is  quite  as  com- 
promising," she  added  with  evident  relish.  "  No, 
the  Mexican  women  have  not  hurt  your  reputation 
any,  but  I  have  not  heard  that  any  of  them  were 
astonishingly  handsome !  Your  Sefiorita — '  Miss 
Moccasins  '  Luigo  said  she  was  called — is  quite 
electrifying  every  man  who  sees  her." 

'  Was  Luigo  electrified?  " 

"  He  was  not  near  enough.  He  said  she  was 
swinging  in  a  hammock  with  Senor  Braith  attend- 

141 


Miss  Moccasins 

ant.  Perenza  told  Luigo  that  she  was  more  beau- 
tiful than  a  picture  of  the  virgin." 

"  Perenza  is  licensed  to  exaggerate.  She  is  very 
much  attracted  to  the  young  girl,  whose  name  is 
Watson,"  he  replied  briefly,  and  then  changed  the 
subject  abruptly.  "  Delfina,  don't  let  us  talk  of 
my  home  or  my  affairs;  tell  me  what  you  can  of 
your  own  and  Felipe's,  I  mean  regarding  any  out- 
side obligations  you  may  have  incurred  during  the 
past  year.  I  don't  mean  the  mortgages  you  gave 
jointly  for  money  you  used  in  speculation, — I 
know  all  about  those, — I  mean  personal  dealings. 
I  understand  you  have  retained  Mr.  Atterly  to 
settle  Felipe's  affairs,  but  tell  me  truly,  Delfina, 
had  Felipe  anything  but  debts  to  settle  ?  " 

"  He  had  a  little  rancho  near  Santa  Barbara,  at 
least  he  thought  he  had  it  until  he  tried  to  sell  it. 
Then  he  found  he  would  have  to  receive  a  release 
from  his  half  sister  before  he  could  give  a  clear 
title,  for  she  owned  one  half." 

"  I  didn't  know  he  had  a  sister!  " 

"  A  half  sister.  Her  mother  was  an  eastern 
woman.  The  girl  has  been  back  there  with  some 
old  aunts  for  years.  She  was  silly  over  the  little 
rancho  and  wild  to  come  out  here,  but  I  suppose 
Felipe's  death  will  change  all  that." 

"  What  became  of  the  rancho  ?  " 

"  Oh,  growing  up  with  weeds,  I  suppose.  He 
was  disgusted  with  it.  Then  I  know  he  never  want- 

142 


Miss  Moccasins 

cd  her  to  come  out — sort  of  afraid  of  her,  I  guess. 
By  her  letters  he  could  see  she  thought  him  a  good 
deal  more  perfect  than  any  man  could  possibly  be. 
She  is  only  a  school  girl,  old  maidish  as  her  grand- 
aunts,  I  suppose." 

;'  Why  not  send  for  her  now  that  you  are 
alone?"  suggested  Leighton.  "You  will  need  a 
companion,  and  if  she  has  no  more  capital  than 
Felipe,  she  would  perhaps  welcome  the  salary  such 
a  position  would  give." 

"  Oh,  she's  poor  enough,  I  dare  say.  Felipe 
couldn't  tell  me  anything  about  that.  The  old 
aunts  were  no  relation  to  him,  you  know.  But  I 
shan't  send  for  her.  I'm  blue  enough  without 
any  strange  mourning  relatives  around.  I've 
never  had  a  word  from  her  since  I  wrote  her  of 
Felipe's  death.  Queer,  isn't  it?  " 

While  they  talked,  Ana  came  in  with  a  tea  tray 
and  the  mail-bag.  Then  while  Delfina  busied  her- 
self with  the  cups  and  the  brew,  Leighton  un- 
locked the  bag  and  sorted  out  the  letters  from 
the  circulars  and  printed  matter. 

She  accepted  the  little  stack  of  letters  and  was 
laying  them  carelessly  aside  when  the  address  of 
the  one  on  top  caught  her  attention.  She  picked 
it  up  with  an  exclamation  of  wonder. 

"  My  own  letter  returned  to  me  from  Anchor 
Darrett! — returned  without  being  opened! — why 
_what " 

H3 


Miss  Moccasins 

Leighton  looked  at  the  envelope  held  out  to  him 
and  pointed  to  an  inscription  in  the  corner. 

"Not  returned,  forwarded,"  he  said;  "for- 
warded here.  Which  means  that  your  sister-in- 
law  is  somewhere  on  her  way  to  visit  you.  An- 
chor Barrett!  A  name  of  character." 

"  Her  father  gave  nautical  names  to  everything 
on  the  rancho,  I  believe,  and  attached  some  special 
significance  to  the  girl's  name, — never  meant  to 
sail  again  or  something  of  that  sort.  Horrid, 
horrid  name, — isn't  it?" 

"  I  rather  like  it,  and  I  rather  like  the  feeling 
of  the  man  prompting  him  to  call  her  that.  I've 
met  a  few  of  the  older  people  who  knew  the  father 
and  they  have  only  good  words  for  him." 

"  But  you  won't  say  that  of  the  son !  "  she 
blazed  out  resentfully.  "  I  know  the  other  people 
have  hated  him  and  were  jealous  of  him,  but 
you " 

"  Tut,  tut,  Delfina,  we  never  quarreled  about 
him  when  he  was  living,  don't  let  us  do  it  now. 
Tell  me  what  you  can  about  those  debts.  I  can't 
adjust  matters  until  you  do.  Delfina,  don't  make 
it  any  more  difficult  for  me;  it's  harder  for  me 
than  you  perhaps  realize." 

Something  in  his  tone  caused  her  to  look  at 
him  very  directly,  and  she  was  suddenly  aware 
that  he  was  thinner  and  had  less  color  than  for- 
merly. That,  then,  was  why  he  looked  changed 

144 


Miss  Moccasins 

since  his  stay  in  Mexico.  Perhaps  he  had  been 
ill — perhaps 

She  could  not  but  remember  why  he  had  gone  to 
Mexico, — had  he  really  cared  for  her  so  much 
after  all?  Was  that  the  reason  his  manner  was 

so  different?  Did  that  explain ?  Her  face 

flushed  as  she  looked  at  him  and  remembered  his 
jollity  over  her  elopement,  his  wonderful  help  to 
Felipe,  who  had  aroused  antipathies  from  the 
first  by  his  romantic  dash  and  promiscuous  love- 
making, — the  way  in  which  he  had  helped  them 
both  and  then  effaced  himself  for  a  year !  All  this 
came  back  to  her  with  a  new  meaning  as  he  spoke. 

She  even  fancied  him  handsomer  than  of  old; 
he  had  been  so  big,  so  rugged,  so  direct  and  abso- 
lutely non-romantic  that  he  had  only  appealed  to 
her  as  a  bulwark  of  strength.  Everybody  relied 
upon  his  help  in  emergencies,  but  whom  did  he 
rely  upon?  Or  when  had  he  ever  needed  any- 
body? Delfina  had  been  very  sure  he  had  not 
needed  her,  which  made  more  potent  the  effect 
of  the  ardent  love  songs  sung  by  the  more  prac- 
ticed Felipe. 

But  if  Don  Mac  had  of  old  spoken  to  her  in 
this  strangely  appealing  tone  and  looked  at  her 
from  such  strangely  serious  dark  eyes,  well,  the  his- 
tory of  the  Hermosa  might  have  been  a  very  dif- 
ferent affair! 

"  I  don't  want  to  make  things  difficult  for  you,'* 

10  145 


Miss  Moccasins 

she  said,  twisting  her  handkerchief  into  a  rope  and 
then  carefully  smoothing  it  out  again.  "  I  have 
been  simply  broken-hearted  over — over  every- 
thing!— and  you  were  the  last  one  to  see  it  or 
show  any  sympathy.  I  have  to  go  to  some  one 
in  all  this  trouble,  and  it's  your  own  fault  if  I  have 
to  turn  to  strangers  after  all  these  years.  Of 
course  it  makes  me  irritable." 

"  Oh,  is  that  it?  "  he  asked  quietly.  "  Perhaps 
I  have  grown  careless  during  these  days  of  rush. 
Have  patience  with  me  and  I'll  try  to  make 
amends." 

;<  Well,  I'm  glad  you  came  over,"  she  admit- 
ted. "  Every  one  stays  away  from  the  house  as 
if  it  had  the  plague.  I  brought  a  few  people 
down,  but  it's  too  deadly  dull,  they  can't  endure  it." 

"  You'd  better  leave  Luigo  and  Marta  in 
charge  and  go  back  to  town." 

"  I'm  half  afraid  to  trust  Luigo  Castro  with 
anything.  He  goes  about  as  if  he  were  in  a  trance. 
And  do  you  know  he  has  had  all  the  outlying 
members  of  the  Castro  tribe  to  a  sort  of  feast 
here,  some  sort  of  a  family  affair,  a  gathering  of 
the  clan." 

"For  what?" 

"  To  take  up  the  question  where  the  coroner 
left  off  and  find  Felipe's  murderer." 

"  They  are  wasting  time,"  said  Leighton,  after 
a  moment's  silence.  "  Yes,  I  heard  there  was  a 

146 


Miss  Mopcasins 

gathering  of  Felipe's  many  cousins,  but  I  didn't 
know  it  was  Luigo's  doings." 

"  They  are  a  horrid  lot  and  they  hang  around 
like  a  lot  of  spies.  They  used  to  beg  from  Felipe 
whenever  they  could  and  now  they  are  such  an 
awful  nuisance  that  I  am  glad  to  give  them  money 
to  go  away." 

"  Don't  do  it  again;   leave  them  to  me." 

"  They  will  hate  you.  Marta  says  they  are 
down  on  you  already." 

"  Since  when?  It  doesn't  matter,  of  course,  but 
I  wonder  why." 

"  It's  on  account  of  Galbraith.  Then  you  are 
both  '  Americans,'  you  know,  and  they  know  you 
would  stand  by  him." 

"Galbraith?"  and  Leighton's  tones  were  in- 
credulous— "  why,  Galbraith  never  bothers  them." 

"  He  threatened  Felipe,  you  know,  threatened  to 
shoot  him.  I  guess  it  was  on  account  of  that 
girl.  And  I  hear  Galbraith  was  drinking  that  day. 
Of  course  he  might  not  have  even  remembered  his 
own  threats  the  next  day!  But  Luigo  has  gath- 
ered up  a  lot  of  gossip  about  it  and  they  drink  bad 
whisky  together  and  talk  it  over,  and  Marta  says 
they  threaten  to  make  much  trouble  before  they 
are  through." 

"  I  shall  offer  every  one  of  them  work  on  the 
-foundations  of  the  new  dam,  and  it  is  going  down 
to  bed  rock  this  time,  Delfina.  If  they  refuse  to 


Miss  Moccasins 

work,  Braith  will  clear  them  out  of  the  place; 
he's  able  to  be  around  again.  So  remember,  if 
they  come  to  you  for  more  dollars,  you  send  them 
to  me!" 

"  Then  they  will  hate  me,  too!  "  she  hazarded. 
But  he  laughed  away  her  fears,  and  dextrously  ex- 
cusing himself  from  her  invitation  to  dinner,  he 
took  his  departure,  leaving  the  mistress  of  Her- 
mosa  in  a  much  more  tractable  frame  of  mind. 
And  in  his  inner  coat  pocket  rested  the  letters  and 
papers  belonging  to  Felipe  as  well  as  some  notes 
concerning  the  little  Santa  Barbara  rancho, 
"  Treasure  Trove,"  and  even  a  couple  of  letters 
from  the  sister  found  by  Delfina  among  the  rest. 

"  Of  course  they  are  of  no  business  importance," 
she  said,  "  but  you  can  see  by  them  what  sort  of 
a  place  it  used  to  be.  I  don't  suppose  it  has  any 
special  money  value  now.  Heavens!  I  hope  she 
isn't  coming  out  here  with  the  expectation  of  find- 
ing it  fit  to  live  in !  " 

She  watched  Leighton  as  he  mounted  El  Diablo 
and  rode  away.  How  strong  and  handsome  he 
was! 

Felipe  had  been  handsome,  too,  and  she  walked 
to  the  end  of  the  sala  and  stood  before  a  life-size 
portrait  of  Felipe  painted  for  her  in  the  early 
weeks  of  her  marriage,  when  all  the  glamour  of 
his  dark  Mexican  beauty  had  blinded  her  to  other 
types. 

148 


Miss   Moccasins 

"He  was  beautiful!"  she  thought.  "It  was 
his  beauty  made  the  people  jealous,  made  the  men 
hate  him !  " 

But  as  she  turned  away  she  caught  a  glimpse 
of  Leighton  passing  out  of  the  park  gates  and  re- 
membered hearing  him  called  the  handsomest  man 
in  the  Hermosa  valley.  But  who  had  ever  heard 
of  men  being  jealous  of  Leighton's  physical  ad- 
vantages? Who  ever  heard  of  men  hating  him 
because  women  loved  him?  And  women  had 
loved  him  no  doubt,  did  love  him 

Then  she  suddenly  struck  one  hand  in  the  other 
angrily,  and  shut  her  teeth  with  a  little  click. 

"  His  Senorita !  I  let  him  have  the  papers.  I 
told  hirn  all  he  wanted  to  know,  and  after  all,  I 
let  him  go  without  learning  a  single  real  fact  about 
the  girl!" 


XI 

GHOSTS. 

Leighton  rode  past  the  wrecked  dam  where  the 
men  were  already  blasting  and  digging  at  the  new 
foundation  and  the  workmen  greeted  him  in  kind- 
ly fashion,  and  nodded  to  each  other  meaningly 
when  he  had  passed. 

'  He  comes  from  the  widow.  Caramba !  It 
is  not  for  nothing  he  working  to  make  richer  her 
rancho!  They  will  marry  after  all — no?  " 

"  Sure !  He  will  make  all  come  right  in  the 
Hermosa,  Don  Mac  has  the  luck !  " 

And  the  man  with  the  luck  galloped  on  to  where 
the  new  houses  for  the  workmen  were  building, 
then  across  the  rise  to  where  the  young  olive  or- 
chard was  being  planted;  then  taking  a  short  cut 
across  the  pasture  to  the  road,  he  passed  around 
the  hill  where  the  vineyard  of  the  old  adobe  joined 
a  field  of  alfalfa,  and  at  a  sound  among  the  thick 
rows  of  vines  above,  he  halted  Diablo  and  faced 
about  at  sound  of  hoof  beats  on  the  sheltering 
hill. 

It  was  Galbraith,  and  Leighton  watched  him 
curiously  as  he  approached,  his  head  bent  thought- 
fully as  his  horse  picked  its  way  along  the  bluff. 

The  attitude  of  Galbraith  and  Leighton  had 

150 


Miss   Moccasins 

been  strangely  changed  since  the  former  had  been 
able  to  be  on  his  feet.  No  word  had  been  spoken 
between  them  of  Leighton's  surveillance  over  him, 
and  muscular  admonitions  to  silence.  The  names 
of  Barrett  or  Carmenita  had  not  been  spoken  by 
him  since  his  delirium,  which  convinced  Leighton 
that  he  was  giving  the  subject  extra  thought.  His 
silence,  someway,  put  a  guard  on  Leighton's 
tongue,  and  for  the  first  time  in  their  friendship 
of  ten  years,  there  was  a  wall  of  reserve  between 
the  two  men — a  certain  barrier  neither  of  them 
could  break  down. 

Galbraith's  face  was  not  only  thoughtful,  it 
was  troubled.  He  was  a  man  slightly  older  than 
Leighton  and  about  the  same  height,  good  looking 
in  a  fair-haired,  blue-eyed,  square-shouldered  way, 
a  hard  worker,  sometimes  a  hard  drinker,  a  good 
friend,  and  one  of  the  millions  who  are  described 
as  "  no  one's  enemy  but  his  own." 

But  his  knocking  about  the  world  had  given  him 
a  certain  polish  that  at  times  made  strangers 
wonder  that  so  fine  a  fellow  could  be  content  for 
years  to  look  after  another  man's  stock.  There 
was  wealth  waiting  in  California,  or,  indeed,  in 
most  lands,  for  men  of  his  ability.  But  some  one 
who  knew  would  mention  that  little  crook  of  the 
elbow  and  lift  their  brows,  and  all  was  explained: 
A  fine  vessel  without  a  compass  drifting  fate  fully 
on  open  seas! 


Miss   Moccasins 

It  was  understood  from  some  words  dropped  by 
him  in  hours  of  forgetfulness  that  Leighton  had 
in  some  way  saved  him  long  ago  in  Mexico  from 
the  consequences  of  some  act  of  his  drinking  hours, 
too  rash  for  men  of  their  lax  laws.  No  one,  unless 
it  were  perhaps  Manuel  Gonzales,  knew  what  it 
had  been,  but  all  could  see  the  absolute  devotion  it 
had  won  for  Leighton.  Of  course  Galbraith  was 
likely  to  be  missing  for  breakfast  sometimes,  and 
Diego  would  be  given  charge  of  the  rancho  until 
he  came  back.  His  absence  might  be  a  matter  of 
several  days  or  several  weeks,  it  was  always  as 
long  as  his  money  lasted;  but  thus  far  he  had 
always  come  back,  though  he  confessed  that  in 
no  other  one  state  had  he  ever  before  remained 
more  than  a  year  at  a  time  in  his  life.  It  was 
Leighton  who  brought  him  back  to  Hermosa. 

Once  he  halted  in  his  descent  through  the  vines, 
and  cast  a  sharp  glance  at  a  clump  of  dense  growth 
on  the  right;  then  after  a  last  glance  back  over 
the  way  he  had  come,  he  continued  slowly  down 
to  the  level  below. 

"  Hello!  "  called  Leighton,  "  aren't  you  off  the 
trail?" 

Galbraith  looked  up  quickly,  startled,  alert ! 

*  Yes,  I  am,"  he  confessed.  "  See  anybody 
pass  down  here  ahead  of  me?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Leighton  as  they  ranged  their 

152 


Miss   Moccasins 

horses     alongside    and    headed    towards    home. 
"  Who  are  you  trailing?  " 

'  The  shoe  is  on  the  other  foot,"  replied  Gal- 
braith  grimly.  "  I  was  trying  to  see  who  was 
trailing  me." 

"  You !  " 

"  Oh,  some  one  skulking  in  the  brush  on  the 
other  side  of  the  hill  playing  ghost,  I  think.  It 
is  the  first  time  it  has  occurred  in  daylight  and  I 
took  across  the  hill  to  head  the  fellow  off — some 
crazy  Mexican,  I  reckon.  Did  you  see  Rioz  about 
the  fencing?  " 

"  Yes,  he  is  at  the  work.  Things  are  moving 
all  right." 

"  They  ought  to,"  remarked  Galbraith  drily. 
"  You've  been  working  night  and  day  on  the  Gon- 
zales  tracts  since  you  could  be  lifted  into  a  sad- 
dle." 

"  I  didn't  play  square  to  Gonzales  when  I 
dropped  it  a  year  ago,  Braith.  I've  got  to  make 
it  as  square  as  I  can  to  even  up — as  square  as  I 
can!  You  know,"  he  added,  "  she  has  come  back 
— Delfina?" 

Galbraith's  face  hardened,  and  as  Leighton 
glanced  at  him,  he  met  his  comrade's  blue  eyes; 
they  were  hard,  half  closed,  and  strangely  critical ! 
An  instant  and  the  expression  had  vanished,  leav- 
ing Leighton  half  convinced  that  his  own  eyes 
had  deceived  him.  Why,  even  if  Galbraith  had 

153 


Miss   Moccasins 

chanced  to  hear  the  surmises  already  abroad  con- 
cerning himself  and  Gonzales'  daughter, — even 
then,  why  should  Galbraith  care?  He  was  so  puz- 
zled at  that  swift,  keen,  quickly  veiled  glance  that 
he  did  not  notice  Galbraith's  failure  to  reply  to 
the  remark  concerning  Delfina. 

Diego  took  their  horses  when  they  reached  the 
corral,  and  at  the  same  time  handed  the  mail  to 
Galbraith. 

He  glanced  at  it  quickly,  saw  there  were  letters 
only  for  Leighton,  and  overtook  him  before  he 
reached  the  patio. 

"  There's  a  letter  from  Kern  County,"  he  said; 
"  I  thought  you'd  want  to  read  it  before  you  saw 
her." 

Leighton  scrutinized  the  cheap  envelope  and  the 
scrawling  superscription  on  the  face  of  it — Mr. 
McNeal  Leighton. 

"  I  never  liked  my  own  name  so  little,"  he  re- 
marked as  he  tore  off  the  envelope.  Galbraith 
halted,  too,  and  leaned  against  the  fence.  He 
knew  that  just  beyond  there  a  girl  had  heard  the 
approach  of  their  horses  and  that  she  was  waiting 
for  them  with  the  frank,  eager  impatience  of  a 
child,  but  he  knew  it  was  not  he  for  whom  she 
would  look  first. 

His  face  was  turned  towards  the  garden  and 
away  from  Leighton,  but  he  turned  at  the  sound 
of  crumpling  paper  and  an  oath. 

154 


Miss   Moccasins 

"What  is  it,  old  man?" 

There  was  no  immediate  reply. 

Leighton's  eyes  were  stormy,  and  his  hand 
clenched  on  the  letter. 

"  It's  pretty  nearly  hell,  Braith,"  he  said  at  last 
and  tossed  him  the  letter.  "  Read  it  if  you  can." 

The  letter  was  from  Mrs.  Harriet  Watson  of 
Kern  County.  It  stated  that  Mr.  Watson  had  re- 
quested her  to  answer  Mr.  Leighton's  letter  re- 
garding their  unfortunate  sister,  Anabelle.  Mr. 
Watson  was  much  bothered  about  the  affair  as  he 
did  not  feel  able  to  spend  money  for  the  sort  of 
care  Mr.  Leighton  was  giving  her,  and  he  had  to 
notify  Mr.  Leighton  that  her  relatives  could  not 
be  held  accountable  for  expenses. 

They  were  glad  to  hear  she  was  recovering  so 
rapidly  and  if  any  sort  of  position  could  be  se- 
cured for  her  in  Hermosa,  Mr.  Watson  thought 
she  would  be  better  off  there  where  she  had  found 
friends.  For  Anabelle  had  not  seemed  to  take 
much  to  Kern  County  ways,  and  as  Mr.  Watson 
had  a  good-sized  family  of  his  own  to  provide  for, 
he  really  could  not  afford  to  look  after  any  one 
who  was  able  to  work  at  all.  Anabelle  had  been 
kind  of  handy  with  children,  and,  if  Mr.  Leighton 
or  his  wife  could  get  her  a  place  as  child's  nurse 
or  teacher,  it  would  be  better  than  nothing,  and 
the  writer  would  be  much  obliged.  Of  course,  if 
no  such  place  offered,  Anabelle  knew  she  could 

155 


Miss  Moccasins 

come  back  to  Kern  County,  if  she  wanted, — Mr. 
Watson's  home  would  always  have  room  for  his 
sister, — but  the  thing  he  could  not  be  accountable 
for  was  the  doctor  bills.  So,  if  Anabelle  could  get 
any  position  to  pay  for  that  extra  expense,  etc., 
etc. 

Galbraith  looked  up  from  the  letter,  inquiring- 

if- 

"  You  did  not  tell  them,  then,  that  her  memory 
was  gone  and " 

"  I  couldn't  do  it,  Braith,  I  couldn't  bear  to 
put  it  on  paper.  I  can't  bear  to  speak  of  it.  Then 
before  the  letter  reached  them,  her  memory  might 
come  back.  You  know  that  Dr.  Elroy  said  that 
an  operation  might  not  be  necessary;  that  with 
her  returning  strength,  the  memory  might  come 
gradually,  or  that  a  shock  might  bring  it  back  in 
an  instant.  You  see  there  are  so  many  chances." 

"  Yes,  I  see !  But  these  people,  if  she  goes 
back  to  them  ?  " 

"  Go  back !  Good  God,  do  you  think  I'll  let 
her  go  back?  " 

"  N — no, — I  didn't  reckon  you  would.  This 
woman,"  tapping  the  letter,  "  is  just  the  sort  to 
send  her  own  grandmother  to  the  insane  depart- 
ment of  the  county  poor-house  if  the  old  lady's 
mind  failed.  But  there  is  another  side  to  it,  Mac: 
as  soon  as  this  vinegar  plant  absorbs  the  fact  that 
this  outfit  does  not  contain  a  Mrs.  Leighton " 

156 


Miss   Moccasins 

Leighton  swore  again  and  frowned  an  almost 
ugly  smile  at  the  ugly  thought. 

"  Do  you  think  for  one  minute  I'd  let  that  stand 
in  the  way  of  keeping  her?  "  he  demanded.  "  If 
a  Mrs.  Leighton  is  needed,  we'll  find  one.  A  few 
words  before  Father  Rey  and  some  woman  who 
would  say  '  yes  ' !  Or  what's  the  matter  with  a 
Mrs.  Galbraith  ?  You've  ranged  free  long  enough. 
Pick  out  the  prettiest  of  your  own  girls  and  marry 
her, — that  would  make  it  all  right." 

Galbraith  uttered  a  harsh,  strained  sort  of 
laugh  at  the  idea. 

"  So  it  would,  so  it  would,"  he  agreed,  "  but 
it  would  be  sort  of  playing  it  low  down  on  the 
other  woman  in  the  case.  And  it  may  be,  you 
know,  that  it  is  not  needed.  The  Senorita  may 
wake  up  any  day,  and  then " 

Leighton  thrust  the  letter  in  his.  pocket  and 
straightened  up, 

"  Let  us  go  in,"  he  said.  "  She  will  be  waiting 
for  us." 

She  was  not  waiting.  She  was  coming  to  meet 
them,  smiling,  child-like,  with  roses  in  her  hair 
and  a  tall  stock  of  the  blue  lily  which  she  used  as 
a  mimic  cane. 

"  I  have  been  listening  for  you  forever!  "  she 
cried,  running  to  Leighton  and  clasping  him  by 
the  hands.  ;'  Don  Mac,  why  do  you  never  stay 
in  our  own  garden?  Anita  says  you  ride  where 

15.7 


Miss  Moccasins 

there  is  a  finer  one  and  that  you  are  at  the  sefiora's 
feet.  Who  is  the  sefiora  ?  Is  it  true  that  she  sent 
you  a  letter  that  smelled  like  roses?  And  is  it  to 
be  at  her  feet  you  go  away  all  the  time?  Anita 
says  you  go  sometimes  and  stay  more  than  one 
hundred  nights  and  days,  and  Tia  Perenza  boxed 
Anita's  ears  and  wished  that  a  blister  would  come 
on  her  tongue." 

"  You  must  not  mind  Anita ;  she  was  only  jest- 
ing— in  fun,  you  know." 

"  She  cried  when  Tia  Perenza  boxed  her  ears, 
and  that  was  no  fun !  "  said  the  girl  with  the  same 
child-like  directness.  "  But  if  you  do  go  away 
for  the  hundred  nights  and  days,  will  you  take  me 
with  you?  " 

"  Of  course,"  he  agreed. 

"  And  Jose — oh,  he  laughed  to-day  and  held  to 
my  finger  and  tried  to  bite  it!  Will  you  let  me 
take  my  baby,  Jose?  " 

"  Certainly.    How  could  we  go  without  Jose  ?  " 

She  clasped  her  hands  about  his  arm  and  leaned 
her  head  on  his  shoulder. 

'  Then  I  don't  care  how  soon  we  start,"  she 
said  happily.  "  Is  there  a  moon  to-night?  Can 
we  go  now  ?  " 

The  two  men  walked  on  beside  her  with  grave 
faces.  She  had  no  recollection  of  ever  seeing 
either  of  them  until  she  wakened  in  the  Mission 
rancho  and  saw  Tia  Perenza  knitting  lace  in  the 

158 


Miss   Moccasins 

doorway,  and  beside  her  on  the  bed,  a  sleeping 
baby  whom  they  called  Jose  Alverez. 

Of  the  flood  and  all  the  life  before  it,  she  had 
no  recollection  whatever.  When,  little  by  little, 
she  had  grown  to  ask  questions,  Perenza  was  ever 
at  her  side  to  fall  in  with  each  childish  whim, 
until  Perenza  and  her  much  exalted  Don  Mac  were 
the  two  engrossing  characters  in  the  girl's  new 
world. 

And  Perenza  grew  crafty  again  during  those 
days  when  the  girl  was  again  on  her  feet  or  able 
to  swing  in  the  hammock  in  the  garden.  She  did 
not  at  all  approve  of  the  one  week  when  Senor 
Braith  in  his  convalescence  had  also  closed  the  gar- 
den, not  at  least  until  she  had  listened  to 
their  long,  one-sided  talks,  when  Galbraith 
had  told  her  over  and  over  again  how 
Don  Mac  had  found  her  in  the  flood,  how 
he  had  cared  for  the  women  and  children, 
how  he  had  also  dragged  him  back  to  life  when 
he  was  as  good  as  dead.  To  these  recitals  Perenza 
would  add  in  her  turn  the  wonders  of  Don  Mac's 
boyhood  and  its  various  hair-breadth  adventures. 
And  to  all,  the  Senorita  of  the  Moccasins  (for  the 
title  remained  her  own,  despite  the  newer  name  of 
Anabella  Watson) , — to  all  she  would  listen  dream- 
ily, happily,  as  to  a  series  of  romances  in  which 
the  scenes  changed  but  never  the  hero.  And  the 
whole  task  of  every  day  to  her  became  merely  the 

159 


Miss  Moccasins 

waiting  for  sunset,  the  steps  or  the  voices  of  the 
two  in  the  patio. 

And  Perenza  hoped  much  for  the  day  when  the 
doctor  would  lift  that  bit  of  bone  pressing  on  the 
brain.  If  the  hero  was  not  entirely  a  fool,  he 
would  cease  the  rides  to  the  Gonzales  woman  and 
sit  sometimes  at  home  in  his  own  garden!  And 
to  that  end  she  would  thrust  a  blossom  in  the' 
hair  or  the  hand  of  the  Senorita  and  bid  her  go  to 
meet  Don  Mac  when  she  heard  the  clatter  of  his 
horse  on  the  road.  And  if  by  chance  he  entered 
the  patio  without  seeing  the  slender  figure  and  the 
waiting  smile,  quick  alarm  showed  in  his  face  and 
voice:  and  Perenza  chuckled  to  herself  at  those 
times,  and  gave  to  herself  all  credit  for  his  eager 
intent. 


XII 

MAC  LEIGHTON  MAKES  A  CONFESSION. 

Yet  little  by  little,  as  the  days  passed,  the  mental 
horizon  of  Miss  Moccasins  widened.  She  grew  to 
observe  and  make  comparisons.  It  might  be  be- 
cause of  her  returning  strength,  and  it  might  be 
due  somewhat  to  Anita's  fondness  for  gossip;  at 
any  rate,  a  troubled  sense  of  her  anomalous  posi- 
tion had  taken  root  in  her  mind,  and  her  questions 
grew  persistent  an^  hard  to  answer.  She  must 
be  kept  free  from  troublesome  thoughts  until  Dr. 
Elroy  had  quite  decided  she  was  strong  enough  to 
bear  that  little  operation  on  which  so  much  de- 
pended. 

"  Give  her  the  position  of  governess  to  Jose," 
suggested  Galbraith,  when  Leighton  had  called 
him  into  council  on  the  subject.  "  Pay  her  a  sal- 
ary to  cover  all  expenses,  and  when  she  does  re- 
cover entirely,  she  will  not  feel  under  obligations. 
That  will  fix  it.  You've  been  so  wrapped  up  in 
the  Hermosa  affairs  that  I  did  not  suppose  you 
had  time  to  notice  how  decidedly  the  Senorita  is 
on  the  mend." 

Leighton  smiled  slightly  and  smoothing  out  an 
ancient  map  of  the  county,  compared  it  with  some 
surveys  of  a  later  date. 


Miss   Moccasins 

'  You're  getting  almost  as  cranky  as  Perenza," 
he  remarked  as  he  carefully  dotted  portions  of 
the  map  with  a  red  pencil.  "  I'm  getting  things 
in  order  to  square  up  all  right,  but  I  have  to  fight 
against  you  folks  almost  as  hard  as  against  Del- 
fina's  lawyers." 

Galbraith  frowned  and,  rolling  a  cigarette, 
stared  comtemplatively  at  Leighton's  profile  grown 
sharper  and  thinner  since  his  return  from  Mexico, 
and  at  the  cheek  which  had  lost  its  color  during 
the  long  nights  when  the  lamp  had  burned  through 
the  small  hours  while  he  bent  over  pen  and  pencil 
problems  such  as  now  littered  his  table. 

"  What  place  is  that?  "  he  asked  at  last,  point- 
ing with  his  cigarette  to  the  old  survey.  "  Too 
near  the  coast  to  belong  to  these  tracts." 

"  It's  a  little  place  called  '  Treasure  Trove ' 
down  Santa  Barbara  way.  It  belonged  to  Darrett. 
I'm  having  it  put  in  order." 

"How  many  more?"  demanded  Galbraith 
ironically.  "  Can't  you  gather  in  a  range  or  two 
of  the  Sierras,  and  level  them  in  time  for  fall 
planting?  " 

"  Oh,  this  is  only  a  little  cottage  and  a  few 
acres.  That's  where  I  was  when  I  ran  down  to 
the  coast  last  week.  It  was  only  a  tangle  of  briers, 
but  Delfina  found  an  old  letter  from  Felipe's  sis- 
ter describing  how  it  used  to  look — and  that's  how 

162 


Miss   Moccasins 

it  is  going  to  look  again.    The  girl  is  coming  out 
here." 

"His  sister!     Barrett's!" 

Leighton  nodded,  much  engrossed  by  the  sur- 
veys before  him,  but  he  looked  up  at  Galbraith's 
smothered  imprecations. 

"  Hasn't  one  of  the  family  brought  hell  enough 
into  this  valley?"  he  demanded.  'You — why 
you're  working  yourself  half  to  death  and  spending 
all  of  your  own  money  you  can  get  hold  of  to  right 
his  wrongs.  Oh,  I  know!  And  now,  by  God, 
you  must  feather  a  soft  nest  for  another  of  the 
same  breed!  " 

"Braith!" 

"  I  didn't  cheep  so  long  as  it  was  the  Gonzales 
affairs  you  were  squaring  up.  When  you  came 
home  and  took  up  the  work  where  you  had  laid 
it  down,  for  him,  well,  I  hated  it  like  poison,  but 
I  kept  my  tongue  between  my  teeth.  I've  worked 
like  a  horse  to  help  you,  and  of  course  I'll  keep 
alongside  till  the  job  is  finished;  but  just  this  once 
I  am  rising  to  state  that  no  damned  fool  woman 
is  worth  it!  And  now  if  you  are  going  to  ring 
in  a  new  female  to  sweat  hides  and  pocketbooks 
for — well — you — are  more  different  kinds  of  an 
idiot  than  any  pipe  dream  could  conjure  up !  " 

*  You  are  doing  pretty  well  without  the  pipe," 
remarked  Leighton.    "  This  extra  girl  in  the  Her- 

163 


Miss  Moccasins 

mosa  isn't  going  to  make  much  extra  work  for 
you." 

"Me?  Hell!"  commented  Galbraith  disgust- 
edly. "  It  isn't  my  work  I'm  growling  about; 
it's  the  way  you're  slaving  and  the  things  people 
say  of  it!  " 

"  Well,  what  do  they  say?  " 

"  Oh,  they  all  expect  to  be  invited  to  the  wed- 
ding when  the  year  is  out." 

"  Leave  Delfina  out  of  it!  " 

"  I  can't,  and  what's  more,  you  can't!  Isn't  she 
the  foundation  of  the  whole  affair?  And  then," 
he  added,  slowly  regarding  Leighton,  "  she  might 
not  want  to  be  left  out." 

Leighton  laid  down  the  pencil  and  looked  up. 

"  This  work  has  got  to  be  done,  Braith,"  he 
said  quietly.  "  Do  you  suppose  your  protests  make 
it  any  easier,  or  that  the  ideas  of  the  valley  are 
likely  to  help  me  ?  " 

"  Oh,  if  you  put  it  that  way,  I'm  done,  of 
course,"  groaned  Galbraith.  "  I  knew  it  was  no 
use  trying  to  fight  you  out  of  it,  and  I  did  manage 
to  keep  quiet  until  the  sister  was  rung  in  on  you, 
and  her  rancho!  The  sister  was  the  last  straw." 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Leighton,  deliberately  re- 
garding him,  "  that  you  are  nervous  and  fidgety 
these  days,  ever  since  you  got  on  your  feet  after 
the  flood.  I  thought  it  was  the  fever,  but  you've 
got  no  fever  now." 

164 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  I  guess  you're  right,"  admitted  Galbraith. 
"  I  am  shaky.  I've  tried  to  speak  about  it,  but  I 
couldn't  until — Mac,  what  did  I  say  when  I  was 
sick  that  you  tried  to  keep  the  others  from  hear- 
ing?" 

"You  don't  remember?" 

"  I  remember  you  shaking  me  and  saying  it 
was  the  wrong  time  to  say  that  and  that  I  must 
not  mention  some  name, — a  woman's  name ! 
Every  time  I  opened  my  eyes  you  were  on  guard, 
Mac.  You  seemed  afraid  of  what  I  was  saying; 
not  afraid  on  your  own  account,"  he  added  as 
Leighton  straightened  up  and  looked  at  him,  "  no, 
dazed  as  I  was,  I  felt  it  was  for  me  you  were  on 
guard,  and  I  lay  there  shivering  with  dread  of 
the  thing  you  were  shielding  me  from.  I  didn't 
know  what  it  was,  and  yet  though  I'm  on  my  feet 
now,  at  times  the  dread,  your  dread,  comes  back 
to  me!" 

Still  no  comment  from  Leighton;  but  he  was 
listening,  and,  apparently,  waiting. 

"  We  work  and  ride  together,  Mac,"  went  on 
Galbraith  doggedly,  "but  we  don't  talk!  You 
won't,  and  I  can't!  What  sort  of  wall  did  the 
fever  build  up,  old  man?  For  when  I  got  on 
my  feet  the  wall  was  there." 

'  You'll  outgrow  it,"  suggested  Leighton  quiet- 
ly. "  It's  only  a  .i:ttle  crook  on  your  mind  like 
that  on  the  Senorita's  memory.  That  row  with 

165 


Miss   Moccasins 

Darrett  about  Carmenita  stuck  in  your  mind,  and 
trying  to  save  her  from  the  flood,  emphasized  the 
fact.  At  least  your  tongue  stuck  to  their  names, 
and  when  you  were  not  calling  for  her  you  were 
cursing  him — and  doing  it  good  and  loud!  They 
were  both  dead.  Half  the  valley  seemed  aware 
that  you  had  provisions  sent  to  old  Carlotta  Al- 
verez.  Yes,  I  know !  It  was  all  right.  What 
I  would  have  asked  you  to  do  if  I  had  known  how 
bad  it  was  with  them  at  the  last.  But  you  didn't 
stop  there !  You  took  an  extra  glass  the  day  I 
came  home  and  when  you  met  Darrett  on  the 
road,  your  threat  to  kill  him  if  he  went  near  her 
again  was  heard  and  repeated.  I  don't  know  that 
he  did  go  to  see  her,  probably  not;  but  he  was 
found  dead  not  long  after,  and  even  the  best  of 
your  friends  had  to  consider  how  far  circumstan- 
tial evidence  could  go  if  it  was  pushed!  I  did 
not  want  it  pushed  until  I  had  time  to  spare  for 
it  and  I  had  all  I  could  stagger  under  just  then. 
That's  why  I  stood  guard  when  you  were  repeat- 
ing your  threats  and  half  Hermosa  with  open 
ears  to  listen." 

"  Um!  I  didn't  know  it  was  so  bad  as  that," 
said  Galbraith,  eyeing  Leighton  thoughtfully.  "  I 
see !  "  Then  he  gave  a  short  mirthless  laugh. 
"  And  that's  why  the  Mexicans  are  trailing  me — 
for  they  are !  I  didn't  know  why,  but  it's  played 
the  devil  with  my  nerves !  I've  got  into  the  daffy. 

166 


Miss  Moccasins 

habit  of  listening  to  some  one  following  me;  sev- 
eral times  I've  almost  caught  him." 

"  Any  particular  '  him'?  " 

"  No,  but  I  seem  to  see  Barrett's  ghost  every 
corner  I  turn.  The  place  is  full  of  the  Castros ! 
I  asked  one  of  them  his  name  yesterday  and  he  said 
he  was  (  Felipe's  cousin.'  Every  black  and  tan  of 
them  rested  on  a  pick  or  shovel  to  listen ! — And  if 
the  sister  glowers  at  me  like  the  cousins !  " 

"Well,  what  will  you  do?" 

"  Oh,  strike  across  the  line  somewhere.  Since 
the  flood  went  over  me  I'm  losing  my  nerve. 
When  you  get  things  squared  here,  I'll  cut  loose." 

"  Wait  until  my  guardianship  days  are  over  and 
I'll  go  with  you." 

Leighton  had  resumed  his  inspection  of  the  sur- 
veys, and  spoke  quietly,  without  lifting  his  head. 
But  Galbraith  welcomed  the  statement  with  a 
shout  and  overturned  a  chair  to  grasp  his  hand. 

"  Great  Scott!  Do  you  mean  it?  "  he  demand- 
ed exultantly.  "  Then  you  are  not  tying  up  for 
life  to  the  Gonzales  tracts?  Say!  I  feel  as  if  I 
had  found  you  again  and  you  had  been  a  long 
time  lost.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  you  were  go- 
ing to  slave  all  your  life  for  that  woman  who 
threw  you  over  once." 

Braith  watched  Leighton,  half  expecting  an 
angry  retort.  But  it  did  not  come;  he  only  smiled 
without  lifting  his  eyes  from  the  surveys. 

167 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  She  threw  a  good  many  of  us  over  at  one  time 
or  other,"  he  remarked,  "  and  I'm  not  sure  but  you 
were  in  the  bunch.  I  seem  to  be  the  only  one  who 
is  trying  to  prove  he  is  grateful." 

Galbraith  swore  softly  and  got  up. 

"  I  never  was  in  the  same  territory  with  your 
*  bunch,'  "  he  growled,  "  and  I  wish  you  were  clear 
of  it  now." 

Leighton  made  some  notes  on  a  sheet  of  paper 
and  added  up  a  line  of  figures. 

"  I  do,"  persisted  Galbraith.  "  I  wish  you'd 
break  loose  right  now.  Leave  all  the  work  to  a 
lawyer  and  let  us  both  take  a  run  across  to  the 
old  mine  in  Mexico. — Look  here,"  he  continued 
eagerly,  the  idea  apparently  growing  on  him  as 
he  found  words,  "  only  a  little  of  my  money  is 
tied  up — I  can  get  most  of  it  in  a  day — and  I've 
been  living  like  a  miser  since  you  left.  You  say 
you'll  do  it  and  I'll  draw  every  cent  any  sort  of  a 
time  you  want  to  start.  Sink  your  own  money  into 
the  Gonzales  tracts  if  you  want  to  and  get  a  lawyer 
to  help  you.  Leave  your  money  to  talk  for  you 
and  break  loose.  The  whole  Hermosa  valley  seems 
haunted  lately;  I  could  not  go  and  leave  you  to 
face  the  ghosts  alone." 

;'  The  ghosts  have  not  come  my  way  yet,"  ob- 
served Leighton. 

Then  he  folded  up  the  surveys  and  notes,  and 

168 


Miss  Moccasins 

leaned  back  w'th  a  sigh  half  weariness,  half  sat- 
isfaction. 

"  There  is  the  last  item  of  expense  figured  up," 
he  said,  as  he  placed  the  papers  carefully  in  the 
desk;  "  all  the  hard  work  accomplished,  not  a 
thing  to  do  now  but  to  hunt  for  the  money  to 
square  them." 

"Nothing  but,"  agreed  Galbraith  ironically; 
"  and  that's  the  easy  end  is  it?  " 

'  The  very  easiest !  After  that  there  is  only 
one,  no,  two  reasons  for  which  I  might  be  held 
longer." 

"Two?    What  is  the  first?" 

'  The  Senorita  of  the  Moccasins." 

Galbraith  turned  to  the  window  staring  out 
across  the  fields.  After  a  little  he  said, 

"And  the  second?" 

"  The  small  Jose  Alvarez  Darrett."  Galbraith 
whirled  angrily  at  the  name,  but  Leighton  made  a 
little  gesture  signifying  that  opinions  were  not  to 
be  regarded. 

'  They  both  go  together,  Braith.  She  did  my 
work  and  paid  a  big  price  for  it.  She  adores  the 
child.  It's  as  little  as  I  can  do  to  provide  for  them 
together." 

"  Oh,"  remarked  the  other,  with  a  more  tolerant 
air.  "  It's  all  right  to  do  it  for  her;  I'll  go  halves 
with  you  on  thai-  any  day.  I  thought  at  first  it  was 

169 


Miss  Moccasins 

like  that  Darrett  girl's  rancho;  I  thought  it  was 
done  for  Darrett." 

"  No,"  said  Leighton,  briefly.  "  I  am  only  pay- 
ing my  own  debts." 

"  I  wish  you'd  let  up  on  all  the  rest,  shelve  the 
work  on  lawyers  and  cut  loose." 

"  Can't!  If  you  go  now,  you'll  have  to  go 
alone." 

"The  devil!"  muttered  Galbraith.  "You 
know  I  won't  do  that.  If  you  stay  to  work,  I've 
got  to  face  the  music,  too,  ghosts  and  all !  " 

Leighton  made  no  reply,  but  his  hand  rested  on 
Galbraith's  shoulder  for  a  moment  as  they  stood 
in  the  doorway  and  then  sauntered  together  across 
the  patio  and  towards  the  corral. 

When  they  had  quite  gone,  a  face  appeared  at 
the  window  ledge.  Its  owner  had  crouched  close 
to  the  wall  under  the  shadow  of  a  flowering  shrub. 
It  was  a  dark  Mexican  face,  and  the  eager  eyes 
scanned  the  interior  with  quick,  alert  glances  for  a 
few  moments;  then  the  lithe  figure  ran  crouching- 
ly  under  the  other  windows  to  the  corner  of  the 
building,  where  he  stood  upright  and  walked  in 
a  careless  manner  around  the  end  of  the  porch  and 
into  the  patio. 

Leighton  and  Galbraith  had  halted,  talking  by 
the  fountain. 

'  Yes,"  Leighton  was  saying,  "  I  have  now 
only  the  line  between  this  and  the  Gonzales  tracts 

170 


Miss   Moccasins 

to  settle, — the  water  rights  depend  on  that.  And 
if  the  worst  happens  and  I  should  have  to  sell  the 
Mission,  the  lines  must  be  settled  beyond  any  sort 
of  doubt.  But  that  will  only  take  a  few  weeks, 
perhaps  only  days;  the  whole  thing  is  clear  as 
glass." 

Just  then  he  noticed  the  Mexican,  one  not  be- 
longing to  the  rancho,  leaning  against  the  pillar  of 
the  colonnade.  He  might  be  only  resting,  but  he 
looked  as  if  listening. 

"Well?"  demanded  Leighton,  sharply. 

"  The  Serior  Williams  sending  me  from  the 
dam,"  said  the  young  fellow,  slouching  forward. 
"  A  horse  take  sick  in  that  dynamite  wagon.  The 
load  is  stop  on  the  road.  Si  you  can  send  one " 

'  Yes,"  said  Galbraith,  interrupting.  "  Go  to 
Diego  Estrada ;  he'll  give  you  the  horse."  Then 
as  the  fellow  disappeared  around  the  corner  he 
turned  to  Leighton. 

"  There  is  a  specimen,"  he  observed.  "  Did  you 
notice  how  he  watched  me  while  he  talked  to 
you?  I  never  noticed  this  particular  one  before, 
but  he  is  a  pattern  of  the  ghost  I  meant.  They 
seem  to  slide  around  every  corner  and  watch  me 
with  their  snaky  black  eyes  till  I'd  like  to  wring 
their  necks !  " 

"  Have  patience  one  more  month,  Braith,"  said 
Leighton  quietly,  "  and  I'll  be  free  to  help  you." 

The  strange  Mexican  had  only  ridden  a  short 

171 


Miss  Moccasins 

distance  when  he  saw  old  Luigo  ahead  of  him 
in  the  road.  At  sound  of  the  galloping  horse  the 
old  man  had  evidently  been  disconcerted,  and  his 
attitude  suggested  flight;  but,  as  he  recognized  the 
rider,  his  hands  flew  up  in  joyous  welcome,  and  he 
sank  to  the  ground  in  the  shade  of  an  immense 
thorn  tree  by  the  wayside,  fairly  hugging  himself 
in  a  spasm  of  delight,  and  mumbling  prayers. 

"  Hi,  Tio  Luigo !  It  is  a  good  day's  work, 
this  one !  "  cried  the  younger  man,  waving  his 
hand.  "  Mother  of  God!  What  have  I  heard! 
It  is  true,  all  you  say  about  the  Americans.  He 
did  it !  He  is  followed  by  the  ghost !  I  heard  him 
confess  with  these  two  ears !  " 

The  old  man  straightened  quickly  and  sat  open- 
mouthed  staring  on  the  ground. 

"  They  have  not  taken  him  till  I  give  the 
word?"  he  gasped;  "  no  one  doing  that!  Tell 
me,  is  it  so?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  young  fellow, — and  Luigo  again 
muttered  most  voluble  thanks  to  his  special  saints. 
"No,  it  is  at  Don  Mac's  own  house  I.  hear  it. 
Don  Mac  he  say  he  help  keep  the  ghost  off  Serior 
Braith  if  he  stay,  so  I  guess  he  go  to  stay  some 
more  weeks  and  we  catch  him!  I  hear  him  say 
how  the  valley  is  full  of  the  ghost  what  looks  like 
Don  Felipe !  " 

Luigo  suddenly  fell  to  hugging  himself  again 
and  chuckling.  Then  he  scrambled  to  his  feet  with 

172 


Miss   Moccasins 

surprising  agility  and  darted  to  the  spreading  buck- 
thorn. 

"  The  ghost !  "  he  called  contemptuously. 
"  How  these  American  judges  care  for  ten  hun- 
dred ghosts  ?  Not  any  at  all !  They  say  to  bring 
solid  things!  It  is  good  you  hear  of  the  ghost, 
but  that  no  is  solid  at  all,  Miguel.  It  is  not,"  he 
added,  as  he  scrambled  out  from  the  deep  shadows 
of  the  buckthorn,  "  it  is  not  like  this!  " 

He  had  dragged  from  the  clustering  limbs  above 
his  head  a  bundle  which  he  shook  out  triumphantly 
before  the  puzzled  Miguel. 

"It  is  his  own !  I  found  it — I ! — in  the  room 
where  he  sleeps.  All  his  clothes  on  the  wall! 
Look!  "  and  he  fished  in  one  of  the  pockets  and 
drew  out  part  of  a  woman's  comb.  "  Carmenita's ! 
It  was  in  the  adobe.  I  found  the  other  half  beside 
Felipe.  And,  see !  Here  is  a  letter  in  the  Amer- 
ican. You  spell  Americano?" 

"  Me,  I  learn  all  that  in  the  school,"  said 
Miguel,  eyeing  the  note  dubiously,  "  but  it  is  so 
long  back." 

"  Read!  "  demanded  Luigo,  unfolding  the  note 
nervously.  "  I  know  it — that  paper !  It  is  so 
thick,  so  heavy,  all  with  that  mark  of  the  silver 
palm  in  the  corner, — that  paper  belong  to  the 
Hacienda  and  no  place  else !  And  it  is  writing  to 
Braith,— no?" 

173 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  It  is  to  no  name,"  said  Miguel  at  last.  "  It 
is  just  'Mi  Amigo'." 

"Ah-ha!  Amigo!  Go  on.  How  you  spell 
it?" 

His  old  hands  were  tremulous  with  eagerness  as 
he  shook  Miguel's  arm  to  hasten  the  reading. 

"Mi  Amigo: 

"  It  is  not  easy  to  discuss  our  affairs  before  your 
friend,  who  is  an  enemy.  You  and  I  must  not  be 
estranged  because  of  evil  things  people  tell  you. 
Do  me  the  favor  to  hear  my  side  of  the  story  and 
meet  me  at  five  o'clock  at  the  old  adobe  in  the 
west  vineyard.  I  can  make  all  settlements  clear. 
It  is  for  us  two  to  talk,  not  for  others  to  know. 
That  is  why  I  do  not  say  your  house  or  mine ;  the 
adobe  is  the  best.  FELIPE." 

"  Ai — zi ! — Felipe — Felipe — Felipe !"  cried  the 
old  man  dismally,  shaking  his  head  and  moaning. 
But  a  moment  later  victory  superseded  the  grief 
in  him  as  he  kissed  the  folded  paper  and  knelt  in 
the  dust  by  the  roadside. 

"  From  Heaven  Felipe  come  back  this  day  to 
lead  me  into  that  room,  to  shut  the  eyes  of  the 
people,  that  no  one  sees  when  I  go  and  when  I 
come  out.  My  life  to  God  from  the  day  when  the 
Americano  dies  as  my  Felipe  dies,  my  life  to  God 
and  the  Mother  of  God !  " 


174 


XIII 

THE    SENORITA    GOES    DRIVING. 

Fate  was  abroad  in  the  Hermosa  that  morning. 
It  was  a  fair,  sunny  day  and  the  soft  breeze  car- 
ried the  odor  of  blossoming  orchards.  The  pink 
and  white  petals  drifted  downward  on  the  Senorita 
in  the  garden,  where  she  swung  gently  back  and 
forwards  in  the  hammock,  touching  the  ground 
now  and  then  with  a  gorgeous  moccasin — a  day- 
old  gift  from  Galbraith — and  crooning  one  of 
Anita's  lullabies  to  small  Jose  Alverez. 

"  You  spoil  him  si  you  rock  him  after  he  is 
asleep  I  "  said  Anita ;  "  I  will  take  him  to  the  crib." 
But  the  girl  shook  her  head. 

"  No !  He  sleeps  but  with  me,  and  you  are 
jealous,  Anita.  You  go  to  your  dinner.  Jose 
and  I  want  our  garden  all  to  our  own  selves !  " 

With  slight  demur  Anita  joined  the  other  ser- 
vants and  ranchmen  in  the  big  refectory.  And 
thus  it  was  that  the  way  through  the  garden  was 
open  to  MigueF — and  others ! 

The  Senorita  left  the  hammock  and  was  slowly 
pacing  the  long  path  bordered  on  both  sides  by 
stately  white  lilies  reaching  almost  to  her  waist. 
Their  clusters  of  white  buds  had  not  yet  unfolded, 
and  the  girl  in  the  simple  linen  gown,  bought  ready 

175 


Miss   Moccasins 

made  in  Santa  Barbara,  and  a  white  lace  mantilla, 
the  pride  of  Perenza's  heart,  looked  herself  like 
a  folded  blossom,  a  sister  to  the  unawakened  lilies. 
The  one  incongruous  touch  was  the  string  of  tur-» 
quoise  with  its  scarlet  tie,  and  the  very  beautifully- 
made  moccasins  in  which  she  took  the  delight  of 
a  child. 

Jose  had  wrinkled  up  his  small  face  as  a  direct 
ray  of  sunlight  sifted  through  the  moving 
branches,  and  the  Senorita  had  stepped  aside  into 
the  deeper  shadows  when  the  soft  roll  of  wheels 
sounded  on  the  drive  along  the  old  olive  orchard. 
All  the  days  the  Senorita  had  lived  in  the  garden, 
no  one  had  driven  there.  It  only  ended  in  a 
loop  by  the  garden  gate  and  was  for  company — so 
Anita  said — and  no  company  had  yet  come  that 
way.  The  men  came  direct  from  the  main  road 
and  past  the  corrals  on  the  other  side. 

So  the  girl  stood  very  still,  very  close  to  the 
bole  of  a  palm  near  the  gate.  The  wheels  were 
too  close  for  her  to  retreat  unless  she  ran,  and 
to  run  would  awaken  Jose,  and  the  Senorita  would 
have  risked  much  to  avoid  that. 

She  stood  still  as  the  tree  itself  as  a  very  ele- 
gant phaeton  rolled  over  the  grass-grown  drive, 
slowing  up  perceptibly  as  it  neared  the  gate.  Old 
Luigo  was  driving.  The  Senorita  had  only  seen 
him  at  a  distance  and  recognized  his  wide  brimmed 
hat  by  the  black  band  around  it.  Shs  remem- 

176 


Miss  Moccasins 

bered  him  as  the  man  who  brought  the  sweet  smell- 
ing notes  Perenza  hated  so. 

But  beside  him  was  some  one  more  wonderful 
than  the  Seiiorita  had  yet  seen  in  the  Hermosa 
valley, — or  was  it  because  of  the  wonderful  way  in 
which  her  maid  had  arranged  the  filmy  black  hat 
that  the  blonde  face  with  its  pale  hair  shone  like 
a  jewel  set  in  ebony? 

The  carriage  fittings,  the  horses,  the  harness, 
were  all  dead,  dead  black!  A  basket  of  ferns 
and  wild  flowers  was  the  only  bit  of  color  in  the 
equipage  and  the  woman  leaned  across  the  bas- 
ket to  peer  more  closely  into  the  old  garden. 

"  Slower,  Luigo!  If  you  see  any  one  of  them, 
stop.  If  not,  drive  on.  You  are  sure  she  is  in  the 
garden  these  days?  " 

"  Sure !  But  no  one  gets  near  her.  She  was  in 
the  orchard  with  Anita,  yesterday." 

A  little  laugh  sounded  from  the  carriage. 

"  So  great  a  treasure  should  not  range  so  far!  " 

The  Senorita  pressed  closely  to  the  palm  tree, 
and  then  it  was  that  small  Jose  proved  her  undo- 
ing, for  unconsciously  she  clasped  him  more  tightly 
and,  his  sleep  interrupted,  he  made  vocal  protest. 

As  the  girl  realized  that  she  was  discovered,  she 
stepped  back  into  the  path,  patting  and  rocking  the 
little  rebel  into  slumber  again.  The  carnage 
halted  at  the  gate  only  a  few  paces  away,  and 

13  177 


Miss  Moccasins 

Luigo,  at  a  word  from  the  lady,  clambered  down 
on  the  opposite  side  and  adjusted  a  loosened  strap. 

The  Senorita  did  not  notice  him.  Her  eyes 
were  busy  with  the  lady,  who  smiled,  and  held  out 
her  hand,  and  spoke  in  a  carefully  sweet  man- 
ner. 

"  Did  my  horses  waken  the  child?  I  am  so 
sorry !  May  I  see  him?  "  Then  as  the  girl  slowly 
approached  and  lifted  the  rebozo,  "  Oh,  how 
pretty  it  is !  "  she  exclaimed. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  girl,  eagerly.  "  I  think  he 
is  as  pretty  as  the  flowers.  But  Don  Mac  laughs 
when  I  say  so !  Don't  you  think  he  is  ?  Look 
at  his  hands,  and  his  feet, — oh,  you  should  see  his 
feet!" 

"Whose  child  is  it?"  asked  the  other;  and 
the  girl  stroked  the  babe's  hand  softly. 

"  He  is  mine — all  my  own — always!  "  she  re- 
plied with  much  satisfaction.  "Don  Mac  says  I 
shall  always  keep  him,  and  he  is  so  good — Don 
Mac!  What  he  says  is  always  true.  Perenza 
says  he  is  the  whole  Hermosa  valley  and  the  moun- 
tains back  of  them !  " 

"  Of  course,"  assented  her  listener  with  a  queer 
little  smile.  "And  may  I  ask  your  name?" 

l<  I  am  the  'Senorita' !  "  she  said  frankly,  "  ex- 
cept when  I  am  Anabella  Watson.  That  is  my  real 
name,  but  no  one  calls  me  it." 

"  So,"  said  the  visitor,  rather  amused  at  the 

178 


Miss  Moccasins 

girl's  frank  statements.  "  This  is  your  child,  and 
you  are  the  Seriorita  ?  " 

"  Senorita  Moccasins,"  she  said,  lifting  her  skirt 
and  thrusting  forward  one  bead-covered  foot. 
"  Senor  Braith  calls  me  '  Miss  Moccasins,'  but  all 
the  Californians  call  me  'Sefiorita'." 

This  time  the  lady  in  the  carriage  did  more 
than  smile, — she  laughed  outright. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I've  heard  of  you  from  Senor  Leigh- 
ton, — a  school  teacher,  I  think  he  said."  And  she 
laughed  outright  at  the  way  he  had  tried  to  trick 
her, — and  had  failed! 

Her  red  lips  thinned  as  she  considered  how  best 
to  prove  to  him  his  failure  and  for  once  confound 
the  so  perfect  Don  Mac,  who  always,  always  said 
only  the  truth,  and  never,  never  made  mistakes  as 
did  other  men ! 

Her  foot  was  on  the  step  to  descend ;  she  would 
walk  through  the  garden  with  his  "  school 
teacher  "  and  the  school  teacher's  infant !  She 
would  meet  him  at  his  own  door;  she  would 

But  a  better  thought  occurred  to  her  and  she 
sank  back  on  the  cushions. 

"  I  am  a  friend  of  your  Don  Mac,  and  I  came 
to  call  on  business,"  she  said,  smiling.  "  But  the 
day  is  really  too  perfect  for  the  indoors.  Will 
you  not  come  for  a  little  drive,  Senorita? — you 
and  the  little  one?"  she  added,  engagingly. 

"  To  drive  with  you !    Oh,  how  much  I  should 

179 


Miss  Moccasins 

like !  "  And  the  girl's  face  flushed  happily  as 
a  child's  at  the  little  attention.  "  But  it  would 
never,  never  do.  Perenza  would  scold." 

"  Nonsense !  Don  Mac  would  not  let  her  scold 
us  just  for  giving  the  baby  a  little  ride.  We 
shall  be  back  before  she  misses  you." 

"Jose  never  did  have  a  carriage  ride  yet,"  said 
the  Senorita,  wistfully. 

"  And  I  am  quite  sure  it  will  do  him  good,'*  said 
her  temptress,  promptly. 

That  settled  it.  A  moment  later  the  Senorita 
was  seated  in  the  carriage  and  her  hostess  was 
gathering  up  the  lines  briskly. 

"  You  will  have  to  borrow  a  horse  from  Senor 
Leighton  to  ride  home,  Luigo,"  she  remarked  as 
she  turned  the  team  deftly,  and  the  old  man  sprang 
out  of  the  way. 

As  the  white  rebozo  was  caught  by  the  breeze 
and  blown  from  about  the  girl's  face,  the  old  man 
uttered  an  exclamation  of  amazement  and  stared 
after  the  Senorita  and  the  child  with  puzzled  eyes 
and  incredulous  mutterings.  Then  he  opened  the 
garden  gate  and  made  his  way  towards  the  house. 
The  patio  was  empty,  the  servants  in  the  refectory, 
and  all  the  dwelling  open  for  the  inspection  of  the 
curious. 

The  Senorita  opened  her  eyes  in  wonder  at  the 
speed  of  the  black  ponies,  and  sought  the  eyes 

180 


Miss  Moccasins 

of  Jose  for  approval  of  their  escapade;  but  Jose 
had  retreated  into  slumber  once  more. 

"  It  almost — takes  my  breath!  "  she  confessed. 
"  To  ride  so  fast  as  this, — does  it  never  frighten 
you — senorita?  " 

She  added  the  last  hesitatingly,  not  liking  to  ask 
the  name  of  her  new-found  friend,  yet  slightly  em- 
barrassed that  she  did  not  know  it. 

"  Senora,"  corrected  the  other  one.  "You  are 
the  Senorita  of  the  party."  Then  she  turned  her 
eyes  full  on  the  girl  with  a  keener  inquiry. 

"  How  is  it  you  gasp  at  this  little  drive  after 
riding  El  Diablo  and  making  a  record?  "  she  de- 
manded, curtly. 

"I  ride  El  Diablo— I?" 

The  senora  twitched  the  lines  impatiently, — was 
the  girl  a  fool,  or  was  she  acting?  Her  consterna- 
tion seemed  very  real. 

"  Certainly — El  Diablo — the  devil!  "  And  she 
laughed  briefly.  "  Are  you  not  the  heroine  of  the 
flood?" 

The  girl  only  stared  at  her  in  a  perplexed  way, 
a  deep  wrinkle  between  her  brows.  Was  she? 
The  question  bordered  closely  on  that  dreamland 
of  which  she  caught  fleeting,  troubled  glimpses, 
but  of  which  the  doctor  and  Don  Mac  had  forbid- 
den her  to  think  lest  it  bring  back  the  pain  in  her 
head.  She  had  been  guarded  more  carefully  than 

181 


Miss   Moccasins 

Jose  himself,  that  her  every  hour  might  be  tran- 
quil. No  one  was  allowed  to  approach  or  question 
her,  and  now  all  in  a  moment  that  was  all  changed. 

The  swift  flight  in  the  beautiful  carriage  with 
Don  Mac's  friend,  to  run  away  and  be  back  before 
any  one  could  miss  her, — that  was  delightful! 
But  the  question  of  the  gracious,  smiling  seriora 
was  different;  it  made  her  think  and  she  clasped 
her  hand  over  her  brow  and  tried  hard,  hard  to 
remember  if  such  a  wonderful  thing  could  have 
been  possible. 

Diablo,  whom  the  boys  of  the  stable  avoided! 
Diablo,  who  would  stand  on  his  hind  feet  and 
dance  with  rage !  Diablo,  who  could  overleap  the 
carriage  itself  and  never  touch  it !  Diablo,  whose 
approach  would  fill  her  with  terror !  How,  how 
could  it  be  that  she  had  ever  ridden  him  any  time, 
any  where? 

"  I  have  been  ill — I  can't  remember  much," 
she  said  at  last.  "  But  I  never,  never  could  have 
ridden  Diablo.  Of  all  horses  he  frightens  me  the 
most." 

"  And  of  all  men — Don  Mac?  "  suggested  the 
senora,  with  a  little  malicious  glance  lost  on  the 
girl. 

"  Don  Mac!  How  could  I  be  afraid  of  him? 
He  is — he  is  wonderful !  Perenza  tells  me  of  the 
saints,  but  I  am  sure  he  is  greater  than  they,  and 
I  know  it  is  easier  to  love  him ! y' 

182 


Miss  Moccasins 

"Ah!" 

Again  the  senora  looked  at  her  curiously.  For 
reasons  connected  with  a  sensual  Dutch  mother 
and  a  Mexican  father,  whose  household  at  times 
had  suggested  a  harem, — because  of  those  mem- 
ories and  an  inherited  comprehension  of  them,  the 
senora  believed  in  the  innocence  of  girlhood  only 
so  long  as  it  was  guarded. 

And  this  girl,  who  had  guarded  her  but  Mac 
Leighton  and  an  old  woman  who  was  his  alone? 
And  this  child  in  her  arms,  which  she  showed  with 
pride  and  acknowledged  with  pride  as  her  own ! 
It  was  all  the  most  natural  thing  in  the  world,  of 
course.  In  fact,  if  she  had  discovered  some  such 
episode  in  Leighton's  life  a  year  before,  she  might 
not  have  eloped  with  Felipe,  it  was  barely  pos- 
sible she  might  not.  But  she  knew  men,  and 
Leighton  had  been  too  self-restrained,  too  sure  of 
himself  and  of  her.  He  had  never  aroused  her 
imagination,  only  her  curiosity  for  a  time. 

Of  course  she  took  it  for  granted  there  was 
some  other  woman  somewhere,  and  now  that  she 
had  found  her,  she  was  not  troubled  by  delicacy 
of  feeling  as  to  letting  him  know  she  knew  it. 
She  meant  to  take  the  girl  to  the  Hacienda  and 
detain  her  till  Leighton  should  come  or  send  for 
her, — she  was  curious  to  see  which  it  would  be. 
That  would  help  determine  just  how  much  hold 
the  girl  had  on  all  too  perfect  Don  Mac !  Would 

183 


Miss  Moccasins 

he  send  a  servant?  his  right  hand,  Galbraith?    Or 
would  he  have  the  assurance  to  come  himself? 

The  senora's  mother  in  the  same  situation  would 
have  taken  the  affair  as  a  great  joke,  and  with 
loud  laughs  would  have  insisted  on  being  god- 
mother to  the  child!  The  mother  had  been  an 
exuberant,  rosy  cheeked  creature  whose  mouth  had 
upturned  corners  to  match  the  jolly  upturned  nose. 
There  was  a  strong  resemblance  between  them  in 
some  ways,  but  the  daughter  was  a  limited  edition. 
Her  mouth  had  a  downward,  jealous  turn,  and  a 
certain  curve  of  malice  in  the  thin  red  lips.  Her 
instincts  were  no  finer,  but  they  were  covered  with 
a  more  delicate  veneer.  The  daughter  wore  laces 
and  emeralds  while  the  mother,  before  the  golden 
American  days  and  her  meeting  with  Gonzales, 
had  worn  wooden  shoes. 

The  biography  of  a  thought !  All  the  inherited 
instincts  of  adventurous  forbears  in  the  tropics 
framed  the  thought  the  senora  expressed  by  a 
single  exclamation, — ah  I 

She  had  no  standard  with  which  to  compare  a 
child-like  love  in  the  heart  of  a  woman,  and  no 
belief  that  any  man  would  care  to  foster  such  an 
emotion.  As  child  and  as  girl  she  had  known 
men,  some  of  them  old  friends  of  her  mother's, 
and  she  knew  I 

'  Yes,  he  certainly  is  handsome  enough  to  turn 
any  girl's  head,"  she  said  at  last.     "  Mac  is  all 

184 


Miss  Moccasins 

right.  But  after  all  he  is  only  a  man,  and  men 
have  a  way  of  forgetting — serioritas." 

"  Forgetting — oh!  "  And  the  little  cry  of  pro- 
test was  fraught  with  sharp  pain  as  she  put  out 
her  hand  in  a  pleading,  appealing  way.  '  You 
cannot  mean  that,  senora,  that  he  could  forget 
me !  It  is  very  terrible  to  forget.  He  cannot 
forget  when  I  shall  be  always  with  him,  always 
beside  him,  always  loving  him !  " 

"  You  talk  like  a  simpleton,"  said  the  senora 
with  a  curt  laugh.  The  utter  childishness  of  the 
girl  irritated  and  annoyed  her.  She  could  not  of 
course  be  jealous  of  a  senorita  who  was  a  mother. 
As  a  Mexican  woman,  she  expected  episodes  of 
that  sort;  they  would  never  disturb  her  in  the 
slightest.  The  commotion  these  Californians  made 
over  that  little  peasant,  Carmenita,  was  annoying 
and  senseless  to  her.  But  this  one  was  a  different 
type  from  Carmenita,  this  one  who  showed  her 
child  with  pride  and  avowed  her  love  unashamed. 

"  How  can  you  be  always  beside  him  unless 
you  are  his  wife?"  asked  the  senora  as  a  final 
shot,  regarding  the  girl  keenly.  At  that  question 
she  would  surely  show  shame,  perhaps  blushes. 

There  was  neither.  The  girl  looked  puzzled  for 
a  moment  and  shook  her  head. 

"  I  do  not  know  about  that,"  she  said  slowly. 
"  But— I  will  be  his  wife  if— if " 

"  If  you  ask  him  and  he  says  yes!  "  laughed 

185 


Miss  Moccasins 

the  senora.  "  And  we  will  all  be  asked  to  the 
wedding  when  Senor  Don  McNeal  Leighton  of 
Hermosa  marries  Miss  Moccasins  of — No  Man's 
Land!" 

"Yes!"  assented  the  girl,  laughing  also. 
"  Let  us  turn  around  quickly  and  go  to  ask  him ! 
Oh,  how  good  you  are.  I  am  so  happy  that  you 
told  me  I  " 

For  the  first  time  the  truth  dawned  upon  the 
senora  that  this  girl  was  not  quite  as  other  peo- 
ple. A  swift  fear  struck  her  as  she  looked  in 
the  eager  smiling  face.  Was  it  an  idiot  she  had 
picked  up  at  his  gate  in  order  that  he  should  be 
discomfited? 

No  thought  of  Leighton  was  in  her  mind  now, 
only  a  wild  desire  to  meet  some  one,  any  one, 
on  the  road;  a  wild  dread  of  sitting  alone  beside 
that  strange  creature  with  the  childish  smile  and 
the  brain  no  arrow  point  of  sense  could  reach. 
But  there  was  no  one  in  sight.  Her  own  gates 
were  only  a  short  distance  around  the  bend.  To 
reach  her  own  people  and  reach  them  quickly  was 
the  only  thought  in  her  chilled  little  heart,  and 
with  that  thought  uppermost  she  reached  for  the 
whip. 

The  girl  laughed  as  the  ponies  leaped  forward, 
but  an  instant  later  she  uttered  a  cry  of  alarm 
and  caught  the  senora's  wrist. 

'  We  are  not  going  to  him !  "  she  half  moaned 

186 


Miss  Moccasins 

in  dismay.  "  You  are  taking  me  farther  away ! 
Oh,  senora,  take  me  back  now — at  once !  I  must 
ask  him  to  marry  me  before  I  forget  it  again. 
It  is  so  awful  to  forget !  " 

The  senora  stared  at  her  with  whitened  face 
and  tried  to  wrench  her  wrist  free  to  lash  the 
galloping  ponies.  But  at  the  first  violent  move- 
ment the  girl's  eyes  glowed  darkly.  With  a  sharp 
cry,  she  wrenched  the  rebozo  from  her  head,  and, 
wrapping  it  about  the  awakened  child,  she  delib- 
erately laid  him  on  the  soft  rug  of  the  carriage 
between  her  feet. 

"  Now,"  she  said  grimly,  "  we  are  going  back 
to  Don  Mac  Leighton's  to  ask  him  to  marry  Miss 
Moccasins  of  No  Man's  Land!" 

In  vain  the  senora  screamed  and  clung  to  the 
lines.  They  had  reached  the  gates.  The  garden- 
ers were  mowing  the  lawn  near  the  house.  If 
she  could  only  reach  them !  could  only  turn  the 
horses  out  of  the  main  road ! 

The  horses  turned  of  their  own  accord  to  the 
gates  that  swung  open  to  let  them  in  and  swung 
shut  again  with  a  clang  as  the  wheels  crossed  the 
spring  bar  in  the  drive. 

At  the  sound  the  girl  turned  her  head.  She 
saw  the  gates  closed, — she  was  trapped!  shut  in 
forever  from  Don  Mac,  from  the  road  to  the 
Mission!  With  a  half  scream,  she  darted  down 

187 


Miss  Moccasins 

on  the  sefiora  like  a  hawk  on  a  black  and  yellow 
oriole. 

The  men  started  to  run  when  they  heard  the 
scream  of  their  sefiora.  They  could  see  her  for 
a  moment  swaying  in  the  grasp  of  the  girl  and 
then  sink  fainting  in  the  bottom  of  the  carriage, 
while  the  girl,  standing  erect,  grasped  the  lines 
and  strove  in  vain  to  check  the  course  of  the  now 
maddened  ponies  dashing  along  the  drive. 

A  shout  from  one  of  the  men  was  disastrous 
in  that  it  caused  her  to  notice  that  they  were 
running  from  different  directions,  closing  in  on 
her  as  the  gates  had  closed,  shutting  off  forever  the 
way  to  Don  Mac! 

Her  face  was  white  with  dread  of  them,  and 
with  a  last  despairing  effort  she  threw  all  her 
weight  on  the  lines  to  check  them,  to  turn  them 
again  to  the  road,  out  of  the  reach  of  those  men, 
those  awful  men,  who  were  so  close  now,  so  awful- 
ly close! 

The  ponies  reared,  swerved,  and  the  next  instant 
there  was  a  chorus  of  shouts,  a  crash  and  then 
three  men  were  cutting  the  traces  to  free  the 
ponies  from  the  over-turned  carriage,  and  two 
women  were  lying  very  still  on  the  green  of  the 
lawn. 


188 


XIV 

MISS  MOCCASINS  REVEALS   HER  IDENTITY. 

The  unconsciousness  of  the  senora  was  due  to 
fright  and  to  nothing  worse  was  due  the  hysterical 
fit  she  indulged  in  later.  Dr.  Elroy  arrived  with- 
in an  hour  to  put  plaster  on  the  scratch  on  her 
chin  and  to  assure  her  she  was  as  sound  as 
ever,  a  fact  which  she  did  not  credit  in  the  least, 
so  assured  was  she  that  her  nervous  system  would 
become  a  complete  wreck  as  a  result  of  the  shock. 

"  And  that  maniac !  oh,  her  terrible  eyes !  Mac 
Leighton  should  be  prosecuted  for  allowing  her 
to  range  at  large  like  that;  she  is  horribly  dan- 
gerous !  " 

"  Not  at  this  moment,"  returned  the  doctor, 
carefully  folding  some  filmy  powders.  "  I  put  her 
asleep  as  soon  as  I  came." 

"  Oh,  you  saw  her  first?"  inquired  the  senora 
with  a  slightly  injured  expression. 

"  Couldn't  help  it,"  he  said  briefly.  "  Your 
people  had  laid  her  in  the  outer  court,  and  if  it 
had  been  dark  I  should  have  stumbled  over  her. 
After  dressing  the  slight  injury  to  her  head,  I 
had  her  laid  in  the  sala.  I  have  also  sent  for 
Mr.  Leighton.  This  is  a  case  in  which  we  are 
both  especially  interested." 

189 


Miss  Moccasins 

"Indeed?" 

"  Yes,"  resumed  the  doctor,  not  noticing  the 
Irony  in  her  tone.  "  A  most  peculiar  case ;  not 
an  unbalanced  mind,  you  understand,  only  an  en- 
tire loss  of  memory.  A  lost  personality  you 
might  say.  I  am  expecting  decided  results  from 
this  accident,  for  by  a  strange  coincidence,  it  is 
the  same  side  of  the  head  which  is  again  in- 
jured." 

"  I  suppose  her  baby  was  simply  killed?  " 

"  Her "  began  the  doctor;  and  then,  think- 
ing it  best  not  to  enter  into  the  question  of  the 
child's  parentage  with  Mrs.  Darrett,  since  it  might 
cause  a  relapse  into  the  hysterics,  he  added :  "  No, 
he  was  not  even  thrown  out  of  the  carriage;  the 
rug  only  turned  over  him.  But  the  servants  were 
pretty  nearly  useless  with  fright;  they  huddled 
around  him  like  scared  sheep." 

"  Luigo  is  coming,"  said  Ana,  the  maid,  look- 
ing from  the  window.  "  He  will  manage  them. 
And  some  one  else  is  riding  through  the  gate — 
two  gentlemen." 

The  sefiora  raised  herself  on  the  couch  and 
surveyed  the  driveway  for  an  instant  and  then 
sank  among  the  cushions  with  a  laugh  not 
musical. 

"  I  wondered  if  he  would  come  or  send  a  ser- 
vant," she  confessed.  "  He  not  only  conies,  but 
his  shadow,  Sefior  Braith,  rides  with  him." 

190 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  There  is  another,"  announced  Ana  a  little 
later,  pointing  to  a  figure  bobbing  along  in  the 
rear. 

"  That — I  think  is  Anita,  the  nurse,"  decided 
the  doctor.  And  the  sefiora  laughed  again  and 
asked  if  she,  an  uninvited  guest,  would  be  al- 
lowed to  attend  the  reception  Miss  Moccasins  was 
holding  in  her  sala? 

It  was  all  ridiculous, — the  "  Senorita  "  and  that 
incongruous  baby  and  those  men  riding  like  that 
for  such  a  creature,  a  girl  in  a  ready  made  gray 
linen  thing  and  those  ridiculous  moccasins !  It 
pleased  her  to  dwell  on  the  grotesque  things  con- 
nected with  the  girl  who  had  almost  frightened  the 
wits  out  of  her:  Mac  Leighton  should  be  humbled 
before  he  was  an  hour  older! 

And  Ana's  fingers  fairly  flew  in  order  that  the 
senora  should  look  her  very  best  in  a  soft  cling- 
ing home  gown  with  wonderful  jet  girdle  and 
glimmer  of  beads.  Even  the  slippers  she  asked 
for  were  beaded  to  the  tips. 

"  Beaded  shoes  are  just  now  the  fashion  in  the 
Hermosa,"  she  remarked,  jestingly. 

Old  Luigo  was  in  the  sala  crouched  beside  the 
couch  and  peering  into  the  sleeping  girl's  face  when 
Dr.  Elroy  entered  and  laid  a  heavy  hand  on  his 
shoulder. 

'What  are  you  doing?"  he  demanded;    and 

191 


Miss  Moccasins 

Luigo  slowly  rose  to  his  feet,  pointing  with 
trembling  hand  to  the  girl. 

"Who— who  is  she?" 

;'  The  young  lady  from  Kern  County,  who 
warned  the  people  of  the  flood.  You  heard  of 
that?" 

"  We  had  other  things  to  think  of  here,"  said 
the  old  man,  as  he  slowly  moved  away  from  the 
couch. 

The  doctor  noted  her  pulse  and  looked  at  his 
watch  with  considerable  satisfaction. 

"  Perfectly  normal,"  he  murmured,  seating 
himself  with  his  open  watch  in  his  hand,  "  and 
time  for  her  to  wake  up." 

Leighton  and  Galbraith  arrived  a  moment  later 
and  halted  at  the  entrance  to  the  court. 

"  I'll  be  here  if  I'm  wanted.  Mrs.  Darrett 
might  not  like " 

u  Nonsense !  Delfina  is  not  of  the  Castro  fac- 
tion— and — and  we  may  need  you !  " 

Galbraith  followed  without  further  comment, 
and  as  they  entered  the  sala,  Delfina  was  descend- 
ing the  stairway  from  the  other  side.  Leighton 
went  directly  to  the  couch,  and  Galbraith,  though 
he  halted  farther  off,  had  eyes  for  no  one  but  the 
girl  lying  there.  It  was  not  until  Mrs.  Darrett 
had  crossed  half  the  room  that  he  noted  her  pres- 
ence and  acknowledged  it  by  a  grave  bow. 

Leighton  and  the  doctor  had  their  backs  to 

192 


Miss  Moccasins 

her,  and  she  felt  irritated  anew  that  the  girl  there 
absorbed  all  eyes,  even  those  of  old  Luigo  who 
crouched  against  the  wall  as  if  fascinated. 

"Is  she  badly  injured?"  asked  Leighton, 
grasping  the  doctor's  hand.  "  We  were  search- 
ing for  her  when  the  message  came.  Is  she " 

"  She  was  stunned  by  the  fall.  I  can  tell  you 
neither  what  I  hope  nor  what  I  fear  until  she 
wakens." 

"  Oh !     She  is  only  sleeping  then?     I  feared 

He  sat  down,  wiping  his  brow  with  a 

handkerchief.     Dr.  Elroy  regarded  him  sharply. 

"Sick  yourself,  aren't  you?"  he  demanded. 
"No?  Well,  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that.  You've 
been  losing  weight  and  color  too  for  a  month. 
Just  now  you  looked  decidedly  white  around  the 
gills.  Been  riding  hard?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Galbraith;  "that's  it." 

"How  did  it  happen?"  asked  Leighton,  who 
felt  the  color  come  into  his  face  at  Galbraith's 
words.  For  Galbraith  was  obviously  trying  to 
cover  his  emotion  at  sight  of  her  death-like  face ! 
"  They  told  us  it  was  an  accident  in  a  carriage — 
a  carriage !  That  seemed  so  incredible !  " 

"  So  does  this,"  said  Delfina  pointing  to  the 
little  patch  of  court  plaster  on  her  white  chin. 
"  After  this,  Don  Mac,  you  must  really  tack  labels 
on  your  maniacs !  I  had  no  idea  when  she  wanted 

'93 


Miss   Moccasins 

a  carriage  ride  that  she  meant  to  murder  me  for 
the  use  of  the  ponies." 

"Maniac!     Delfina!" 

"  A  loss  of  memory  was  the  only  trouble  until 
to-day — an  hour  ago!  "  said  Dr.  Elroy.  u  If  any 
tendency  towards  insanity  has  developed  so  recent- 
ly, the  question  is,  what  caused  it?  A  mental 
shock  of  any  sort?" 

"  Please  tell  us,  Delfina,  just  what  happened." 

"  She  got  in  my  carriage  with  the  baby  at  your 
gate.  She  insisted  on  driving.  I  thought  her 
manner  strange  and  objected.  Then  she  fought 
like  a  tiger  for  the  lines  and  when  she  got  them 
she  overturned  the  carriage.  The  servants  will 
have  to  tell  you  what  happened  after  that." 

As  she  glanced  carelessly  at  her  listeners,  she 
met  Galbraith's  gaze  and  felt  a  flush  of  anger 
she  dared  not  show,  for  she  perceived  he  did  not 
believe  her. 

"  But,  Delfina,"  persisted  Leighton,  "  we  have 
known  her  as  a  gentle,  harmless  child.  What 
was  done  or  said  to  change  her  in  the  few  moments 
she  was  with  you?  " 

"  A  gentle,  harmless  child !  "  repeated  Del- 
fina, mockingly.  "  Which  one,  Don  Mac,  the 
mother  or  the  infant?  " 

"  The — mother?  "  ejaculated  Leighton.  "  That 
girl! — You  don't  mean " 

She  could  see  that  the  man  was  staring  at  her 


Miss  Moccasins 

in  curious  amazement.  It  angered  her  to  detect 
a  critical  tinge  in  the  doctor's  regard. 

"  Nonsense !  "  she  said,  shrugging  her  shoul- 
ders. "  What  should  I  mean?  Your  proteges  and 
their  families  are  nothing  to  me,  but  when  bache- 
lors and  girls  of  this  age  disdain  the  conventionali- 
ties too  far,  people  will  talk,  you  know !  " 

"  Appearances  have  misled  you,  Mrs.  Darrett. 
You  fancied  this  girl  the  mother  of  the  child  she 
carried?  " 

"  She  told  me  it  was  hers!  " 

"  As  a  pet  bird  would  be  yours !  "  And  try 
as  he  would  Leighton  could  not  keep  the  anger 
from  his  tones.  "  She  had  no  idea  of  the  false 
construction  to  be  placed  on  her  claim  to  it." 

'  That  is  quite  true,  Mrs.  Darrett,  she  is  too 
child-like  to  understand." 

"  Oh — very  well!  She  has  champions  at  least  I 
I  wonder "  and  she  looked  at  Leighton  dar- 
ingly— "  if  she  is  too  child-like  to  comprehend 
marriage?  " 

"Marriage?" 

'  Yes.  She  told  me  among  other  things  that 
she  meant  to  marry  you.  Is  that  also  a  mistake, 
or  can  we  offer  congratulations?" 

The  men  stared  at  her.  Galbraith  swore  under 
his  breath  and  did  not  dare  look  at  Leighton. 

"Oh,     Mrs.     Darrett!"    began    the    doctor. 

195 


Miss  Moccasins 

41  What  the  girl  said  in  that  brief  mental  aberra- 
tion should  not " 

"  Thank  you,  doctor,"  said  Leighton  with  stern 
decision.  "  But  if  our  little  girl  recovers — if  she 
recovers — there  must  be  no  further  chance  for  mis- 
understanding my  care  of  her.  The  marriage  will 
certainly  be  a  fact  if  she  continues  in  the  same 
state  of  mind,  and,"  he  added,  turning  to  Del- 
fina, "  I  should  consider  myself  a  lucky  man !  " 

She  stared  at  him  in  amazement  for  a  moment, 
and  then  laughed. 

"A  California  Quixote!  Now,  Mac,  be  rea- 
sonable! You  are  certainly  not  in  earnest!  You 
don't  mean  to  turn  the  Old  Mission  into  a  private 
insane  asylum  or " 

"  Delfina  ! — Don't !  "  he  said  half  in  appeal  and 
half  in  command.  "  It  is  not  a  subject  for  jest. 
She  was  injured  doing  my  work.  If  she  remains 
helpless,  I  shall  take  care  of  her.  If  she  recovers, 
I  shall  just  as  certainly  ask  her  to  be  my  wife !  " 

His  words  were  emphatic,  and  so  was  his  move- 
ment, as  he  suddenly  lifted  the  hand  of  the  sleep- 
ing girl  and  pressed  it  to  his  lips. 

Delfina  retreated  with  a  little  gasp  that  was 
half  fear,  for  at  his  close  clasp  and  decided  tones 
the  girl  opened  her  eyes  as  she  had  done  that  first 
day  at  the  Mission  when  unresponsive  to  the 
others. 

Luigo  sank  on  his  knees  mumbling  frightened 

196 


Miss   Moccasins 

prayers.  Galbraith  alone  stood  as  before  with 
folded  arms,  back  of  all  the  others.  In  more  ways 
than  one  he  seemed  outside  of  the  circle. 

Dr.  Elroy  bent  forward,  looking  keenly  in  the 
girl's  face. 

"Well?  You  are  better?"  he  said  cheerily. 
And  she  lifted  drowsy  eyes  to  his  for  an  instant, 
eyes  even  in  their  drowsiness  showing  surprise. 

"  Why — yes,"  she  said  at  last  as  she  turned  her 
gaze  slowly  towards  the  others  in  the  room,  and, 
passing  over  them  lightly,  settled  it  on  the  man 
who  held  her  hand. 

"  Yes — I "  She  passed  her  hand  confused- 
ly over  her  eyes,  and  then  uttered  a  little  cry  of 
comprehension.  "  Oh !  Did  I  faint  when  the 
wave  struck!  And  were  they  saved? — oh — were 
they?" 

Dr.  Elroy  turned  to  the  others  in  triumph. 

"  Yes,  dear,"  said  Leighton,  gently,  "  you 
fainted;  but  it  is  all  right  now  that  you  are  your- 
self again."  And  both  his  hands  clasped  hers 
with  grateful  fervor. 

"  Dear,"  she  repeated  in  a  bewildered  way, 
while  the  color  crept  into  her  cheeks  and  she  re- 
garded him  for  a  moment  with  shy  wonder,  "  I 
must  be  half  asleep  yet,  for  I  seem  to  know  you 
so  well,  so  very  well,  yet — I  can't  remember." 

"  Try !  "  he  said  in  the  same  gentle  tone  that 


Miss  Moccasins 

had  yet  a  command  in  it.  '  When  you  are  quite 
awake  it  will  all  come  back  to  you. 

"  Oh — yes!  It  does, — it  does!  "  she  breathed 
eagerly.  "  The  ride,  the  beautiful  ride  on  Diablo, 
Diablo  the  magnificent !  And  then  the  water,  the 
terrible  roar  of  the  water!  And  the  old  woman 
who  screamed !  And" — with  eyes  suddenly  turned 
on  Leighton  with  stony  directness — "  You !  It 
was  you  who  tried  to  stop  me!  It  was  you  who 
said  it  was  Phil's  fault,  my  Felipe's !  It  was  you 
—you !  " 

"Your  Felipe!" 

Delfina's  voice  broke  in  sharply  and  Leighton 
half  rose  from  the  chair  and  let  the  girl's  hand 
fall,  only  to  grasp  it  again  closely,  almost  roughly. 

"  What  do  you  know  of  Felipe?  "  he  demanded. 
His  voice  had  lost  its  gentle  tones, — it  was  rough, 
harsh,  compelling!  'This  is  his  home  and — 
this  is  his  wife  !  " 

"  Oh,  Delfina  ?  "  said  the  girl  turning  interest- 
edly to  the  rigid  black  draped  figure.  "  It's  a 
funny  way  to  come  home,  isn't  it?  Where's 
Phil?" 

Delfina  drew  back  with  a  frightened  gasp. 

'  The  Seriorita !  "  muttered  Luigo,  nodding  his 
head.  "  I  knew  it!  The  Senorita  I  " 

The  rest  stared  at  each  other,  and  the  old  Mexi- 
can nodded  his  head  and  muttered.  The  girl, 

198 


Miss  Moccasins 

hearing  his  voice,  turned  her  head  and  smiled  a 
little. 

'  You  see  I  came  back  to  California,  Luigo,  " 
she  remarked,  and  then  grew  suddenly  conscious 
of  the  strained  attitude  of  the  others  and  the  dis- 
may in  the  face  of  the  widow. 

:'  What  is  the  matter?  "  she  demanded  sharply. 
'  Why  do  you  look  so  strangely?  Why — why  do 
none  of  you  speak  to  me  ?  "  She  raised  herself 
on  her  elbow,  though  she  winced  from  a  lame 
shoulder,  and  swayed  a  little  dizzily.  "  My  hea'd 
is  rather  muggy,  yet,  but  I  can  see  you  all,  and 
I  would  like  a  reply  to  my  question, — Where  is 
Phil  ?  Delfina !  "—in  sudden  terror—"  That 
black  dress !  Is  it — is  it " 

"  It  is  you  who  must  answer  a  question  first," 
said  Leighton  tensely:  "What  was  Felipe  to 
you?" 

"  My  brother,  of  course!  "  she  said,  staring  at 
him  in  surprise. 

Delfina  uttered  a  little  scream  and  then  began 
to  laugh  in  an  hysterical  way. 

Leighton's  face  could  scarcely  grow  whiter,  but 
it  changed  its  tense,  eager  expression  for  a  color- 
less acceptance  of  facts,  and  he  dropped  her  hand 
with  a  slight  cold  bow. 

"  Then  you  are?  " 

"  I  am  Anchor  Darrett  of  '  Treasure  Trove/ 

199 


Miss  Moccasins 

she  answered  briefly.     "  Now,  who  are  you  and 
where  is  Phil?  " 

In  the  shock  of  silence  following  the  girl's 
words,  Dr.  Elroy  cast  a  meaning  glance  at  the 
others,  and  again  it  was  Galbraith  who  came  to 
the  rescue. 

4  Your  brother  is  away  just  now  Miss — Miss 
Darrett."  (Ah!  the  discarded  Miss  Moccasins 
of  the  days  past!)  "  The  fact  is  you've  been  un- 
conscious since  the  flood,  could  not  even  tell  your 
own  name.  Nobody  knew  you,  and  that's  why 
you  find  all  Hermosa  sort  of  tongue-tied  when 
you — when  you  come  to  us." 

"  Oh,  is  that  it?"  she  said  slowly,  looking  at 
the  speaker  in  a  puzzled  way,  and  then  turning 
her  glance  on  the  old  Mexican.  "  But  Luigo, 
Luigo  could  have  told  you !  " 

"  Luigo  did  not  see  you  until  a  few  minutes 
ago,"  broke  in  the  doctor,  eager  to  distract  her 
attention  from  her  original  question.  '  You  were 
carried  to  this  gentleman's  house  from  the  flood 
and  you  have  been  ill  longer  than  you  realize.  I 
am  your  physician  and  must  forbid  further  con- 
versation for  to-day.  Mrs.  Darrett,  I  think  I  must 
prescribe  retirement  for  you  both.  You  have  by 
no  means  recovered  from  your  over — indisposi- 
tion." 

A*  that  Delfina  came  forward.  Overwhelmed 
as  she  was  by  the  situation,  she  realized  that  the 

200 


Miss   Moccasins 

only  thing  to  be  done  was  to  accept  it  and  follow 
the  lead  of  Galbraith  and  the  doctor.  If  the  girl 
was  at  last  sane,  Delfina  had  not  the  least  desire 
to  add  any  further  shock  by  which  a  repetition 
of  the  carriage  scene  might  be  evolved; — and 
Felipe's  death  must  not  be  spoken  of. 

One  look  at  Luigo  had  convinced  her  there 
was  no  mistake  this  time  in  the  girl's  identity.  In 
the  garden  of  the  Old  Mission,  with  her  head 
wreathed  in  a  rebozo  and  a  child  in  her  arms,  he 
had  thought  his  memory  and  his  old  eyes  had 
played  him  false  tricks.  But  once  close  to  her, 
face  to  face,  he  had  no  further  doubts,  and  Delfina 
knew  and  accepted  the  fact.  In  the  presence  of 
those  men  who  had  listened  to  her  ridicule  of  the 
girl,  it  was  no  easy  matter  to  act  as  though  they 
already  had  forgotten  it,  or  to  go  fonvard  and  do 
the  only  thing  to  be  done.  But  with  a  deprecat- 
ing glance  at  the  doctor, — she  avoided  looking 
toward  Leighton,  who  had  retreated  to  a  window, 
— and  squaring  her  shoulders  for  the  effort,  she 
held  out  her  hand  to  the  girl. 

"  We  will  try  to  make  up  for  lost  time,  Anchor," 
she  said  with  a  little  smile.  "  It  isn't  our  fault  if 
you  visited  our  neighbor  first.  What  have  you 
to  say  for  yourself  for  not  writing  us  you  were 
coming?  " 

"  Oh,  I  forget,"  said  the  girl  on  the  couch,  her 
eyes  studying  wistfully  the  blonde  face,  and  draw- 

201 


Miss  Moccasins 

ing  Delfina  down  to  the  hassock,  vacated  by  Leigh- 
ton  a  moment  before,  she  added,  "  I  think  it  was 
because  I  was  so  eager  to  get  back  and  I  wanted 
to  surprise  you  !  " 

"  I  reckon,"  remarked  Galbraith,  "  that  you 
pretty  nearly  succeeded." 

Delfina  and  Dr.  Elroy  laughed,  glad  to  laugh 
at  anything  and  relieve  the  tension  they  were  all 
conscious  of.  And  the  laughter  even  gave  Delfina 
courage  to  lean  forward  and  kiss  the  girl's  cheek; 
until  now  the  greeting  given  Felipe's  sister  had 
lacked  the  cordiality  of  their  exchanged  letters. 
And  Anchor  Darrett  smiled  back  at  her,  with  no 
disquieting  memory  of  their  struggle  behind  the 
plunging  horses,  and  no  consciousness  that  the 
rather  becoming  diffidence  of  her  brother's  wife 
was  due  in  part  to  terror,  terror  of  herself,  harm- 
less though  she  looked  at  the  awakening  from  her 
weeks  of  oblivion. 

"  Come  and  shake  hands,  Luigo,"  commanded 
the  girl,  smiling  quizzically  at  the  old  man.  '  You 
stare  at  me  as  if  I  were  a  ghost.  Come  and  see 
that  I  am  not.  Oh,"  as  Luigo  looked  questioningly 
at  the  doctor,  "  to  shake  hands  won't  make  me 
any  sicker.  Not  that  I  feel  sick  at  all,  but  my 
shoulder  hurts,  and  my  head  a  little." 

Luigo  came  forward,  made  an  antiquated  bow: 
and  took  the  hand  she  offered. 

"  You  are  welcome  in  California,  Anchor,"  he 

202 


Miss  Moccasins 

said  with  careful  precision,  causing  Anchor  to 
laugh. 

"  But  you  can't  cross  your  heart  and  say  you 
are  glad,"  she  said.  "  You  were  gladder  far  when 
they  packed  me  away  to  school  and  you  had  Felipe 
all  to  yourself.  How  I  used  to  torment  you!  and 
how  you  used  to  threaten  me!  I  forgive  you, 
though.  I'd  forgive  anybody  who  was  devoted 
to  Felipe."  The  old  man  had  moved  back,  smil- 
ing grimly  with  the  others  at  her  quizzical  re- 
minders; but  at  her  final  words  he  stepped  close 
to  the  couch  and  clasped  her  hand  in  both  his  own. 

"Mother  of  God!  I  am  glad  you  are  here, 
Dona  Anchor,  glad  from  the  heart!  Yes,  we 
forgive  each  other  everything — all  the  time — and 
we  both  devote  to  Felipe !  " 

"  Luigo,"  said  Dona  Delfina  warningly,  "  you 
will  have  many  days  to  prove  your  devotion,  but 
to-day — " 

'  Yes,  to-day  the  audience  is  ended,"  said  Dr. 
Elroy  in  a  half  jesting  way.  But  Luigo  under- 
stood and  quietly  slipped  out  of  the  room. 

Leighton  picked  up  his  hat,  preparatory  to  leav- 
ing, but  Delfina,  with  a,  little  murmured  apology 
to  Anchor,  crossed  the  sala  and  caught  his  hand 
with  a  fierce  little  grip. 

"  Don't  you  dare  go,  Mac  Leighton !  "  she  said 
hurriedly  under  her  breath,  her  eyes  still  on  the 
girl  beside  whom  the  doctor  had  seated  himself, 

203 


Miss  Moccasins 

testing  pulse,  temperature,  and  the  strange  little 
wound  on  the  skull,  which  had  acted  as  a  door 
locking  up  reason,  and  again  letting  it  free  at  a 
jar.  "Don't  you  dare  go!"  repeated  Delfina. 
"  Feel  my  hands.  I'm  shaking  with  nervousness. 
Do  you  think  I  could  sleep  in  the  house  alone  with 
her?  Not  if  she  were  Felipe's  sister  ten  times 
over!  My!  Your  hands  are  cold  as  ice;  has 
she  scared  you,  too?  " 

"  A  little,"  he  confessed  trying  to  smile,  and 
not  succeeding  very  well.  "  But  it's  nonsense  about 
your  being  alone  with  servants  all  about  you." 

"  What  good  would  they  do  if  she  took  another 
fractious  fit?  They  would  only  go  to  praying. 
Dr.  Elroy  can't  stay,  not  at  night  anyway,  and 
you  must." 

"  I  can't,"  he  said  decidedly.  "  It's  no  use 
talking,  Delfina.  When  she  was  helpless  and 
homeless,  the  case  was  different,  but  now  that  she 
is  where  she  belongs,  you  will  have  to  look  after 
her, — I'm  out  of  it." 

"Oh  dear!"  cried  Delfina,  sinking  helplessly 
into  a  seat.  "  You  won't  stay  even  for  me?  " 

"  Can't,"  he  said  briefly,  thrusting  the  icy  hands 
she  had  referred  to  in  his  pockets. 

"  Nor  for  her?  "  And  her  smile  was  not  un- 
tinged  by  malice. 

"  Nor  for  her." 

204 


Miss  Moccasins 

'  Yet,  an  hour  ago  you  would  have  married 
her." 

'  To  save  her  from  feminine  slander,  yes." 

"  How  was  I  to  know?  A  strange  girl  in  your 
garden,  who  said  she  was  going  to  live  with  you 
always,  and  that  she  loved  you  better  than  the 
saints, — yes,  that's  what  she  said,"  laughed  Del- 
fina  with  a  wary  eye  on  the  couch, — "  so  how  was 
I  to  know?  But  you  hate  me  for  it,"  she  said, 
sitting  suddenly,  accusingly  erect,  "  you  hate  me 
for  thinking  what  any  rational  woman  would  have 
thought." 

"  I  don't  love  you  for  it,"  he  confessed,  "  or 
the  other  rational  women  either.  I  suppose,"  he 
added,  regarding  the  doctor  and  his  patient,  "  I 
suppose  she  will  be  a  rational  woman,  too,  when 
she  gets  on  her  feet." 

"  The  saints  grant  it,"  murmured  Delfina  de- 
voutly. "  But,  oh  Mac,  how — how — how  am  I 
to  let  her  know  about  Felipe?  You  can  see  the 
doctor  wants  her  kept  in  ignorance  of  it  as  long 
as  possible,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  Galbraith, — 
well,  he  saved  the  day  when  the  rest  of  us  lost 
our  wits !  " 

Leighton  glanced  across  at  Galbraith,  who  had 
seated  himself  in  the  court  just  outside  the  en- 
trance to  the  sala,  but  in  full  view  in  case  he  should 
be  wanted. 

"  That's  so,"  he  remarked  reflectively,  "  he  did; 

205 


Miss  Moccasins 

and  he  always  will  if  he  is  given  a  half  chance. 
He  would  be  the  best  person  you  could  get  to  re- 
main here  until  you  are  convinced  that  your  new 
guest  is  '  rational  V 

"But  would  he  do  it?" 

"  Yes,  if  you  tell  him  it  is  for  the  Senorita." 

"  Ah !  "  And  again  Delfina's  smile  had  its  little 
sting  of  ridicule — "both  of  you!"  But  she 
caught  his  sleeve  as  he  would  have  turned  away. 

"  No,  you  can't  go  that  way,"  she  declared. 
"  You've  helped  me  into  this  trouble  and  you  must 
help  me  out." 

Without  reply  he  walked  with  her  across  the 
sala. 

"  Doctor,"  said  Delfina,  "  I  want  my  sister  to 
meet  the  man  who  has  been  her — her  guardian 
since  the  flood !  It  is  our  neighbor,  Mr.  Leighton, 
Anchor.  He  has  been,  he  is,  a  friend  of  Felipe's." 

Anchor  Darrett  turned  almost  eagerly  at  the 
last  words,  but  faced  the  man  who  had  held  her 
hand  and  called  her  "  dear  "  when  she  awakened; 
and  a  little  wrinkle  of  troubled  thought  grew  be- 
tween her  eyes  as  she  regarded  him.  '  The  doctor 
says  I  must  not  think  about  the  flood,  or — or  any- 
thing unpleasant  just  yet,  but  I've  an  impression 
that  we  almost  quarreled  that  evening  in  the  canon, 
and  I  suppose  we  should  have  done  so  if  the 
flood  had  allowed  us." 

'  You  have  plenty  of  time  now,"  said  Dr.  Elroy 

206 


Miss  Moccasins 

genially,  "  but  I  can't  allow  any  quarrels  until  you 
are  out  of  my  hospital.  After  that — you  can  go 
at  each  other  with  little  axes,  and  I'll  be  umpire !  " 

"  Miss  Darrett  will  find  me  the  most  peaceable 
of  warriors  at  her  command." 

"  And  you  are  Don  Mac  Leighton,"  she  said 
slowly,  looking  from  him  to  Delfina,  as  the  gossip 
of  the  stage  recurred  to  her  at  the  mention  of  the 
name.  This,  then,  was  the  man  her  brother  had 
won  a  bride  from!  This  was  the  autocrat  of  the 
Hermosa  valley!  ''It  was  your  horse  I  coaxed 
from  the  Mexican?  You  are  the  owner  of  El 
Diablo?" 

"  I  have  the  pleasure,  until  you  have  further 
use  for  him." 

"  That  sounds  very  nice  and  very  much  like 
California,"  she  said,  regarding  him  more  gra- 
ciously. "  I  have  no  remembrance  of  your  guard- 
ianship, but  I  did  love  your  El  Diablo.  He  gave 
me  my  first  real  welcome  home !  " 

"  I  am  going  your  way,  Leighton,"  said  Dr. 
Elroy,  appearing  with  his  hat  and  gloves.  "  No 
medicine  for  either  of  you  ladies,  but  you  are  both 
to  take  a  nap.  And  you  in  particular,  Senorita, 
are  not  to  talk,  even  a  little  bit,  until  I  call  this 
evening  about,  well, — between  six  and  seven. 
Mrs.  Darrett,  put  a  double  guard  at  her  door,  if 
necessary,  to  enforce  this  command.  I  depend  on 

207 


Miss  Moccasins 

you.  Now,  Leighton,  if  you  and  Galbraith  are 
ready — " 

"Just  a  moment,  Doctor,"  said  Leighton;  "  I 
think  Galbraith  will  remain  here." 

"  Good,  very  good !  "  said  Dr.  Elroy  approv- 
ingly. But  Delfina  was  quite  certain  she  heard 
a  subdued  oath  from  Galbraith  in  the  court,  and 
hastened  to  the  rescue. 

"  You  will  stay,  won't  you  ?  "  she  pleaded  hur- 
riedly. "Somebody  must!  The  Mexicans  are 
not  fit  to  trust  her  with  if  she  should — should 
really  need  care.  As  for  me,  I  am  almost  pros- 
trated over  the  whole  chaotic  muddle.  And  the 
fear  of  what  she  will  do  when  she  hears  he  is 
dead, — that  is  the  very  worst  of  all  to  face  now! 
Somebody  must  watch  her,  guard  her,  lie  to  her 
if  necessary." 

Galbraith  looked  at  Leighton  and  something  in 
the  latter's  face  decided  him  more  than  the  words 
of  persuasion. 

"All  right:  if  the  Senorita  needs  me,  of 
course." 

But  he  avoided  Delfina's  glance  and  gave  brief 
heed  to  her  thanks. 

"  We  all  have  to  suffer  for  our  own  sins  sooner 
or  later,"  he  observed,  "  so  I'm  ready  to  commence 
on  my  account." 

And  Luigo,  sitting  under  the  oleander  beside  the 

208 


Miss  Moccasins 

weeping  Anita,  heard  him  and  made  mental  note 
of  the  confession. 

Anita,  bewildered,  almost  afraid  to  return  home 
to  Perenza,  sat  listening  to  the  wonderful  dis- 
covery that  their  beloved  Senorita  of  the  Mocca- 
sins was  as  one  dead  to  the  life  of  the  people  of 
the  Mission.  Even  Don  Mac  she  did  not  remem- 
ber! How,  then,  could  she  recall  Perenza,  whose 
rebozo  she  wore?  or  Anita?  or  even  Jose  ever 
again? 

And  as  Anita  heard,  she  wept  above  the  sleeping 
Jose  and  hated  the  man  who  told  her,  but  could 
not  doubt  him,  especially  when  Don  Mac  came  out 
looking  very  strange  and  troubled  and  told  her 
to  take  Jose  home.  The  Senorita  would  remain 
with  Sefiora  Darrett. 

"But  how  she  go  to  sleep  without  Jose?" 
pleaded  Anita.  "  Always  he  lay  beside  her  a  lit- 
tle while.  Luigo  he  saying  she  forget  us  all.  But 
si  she  once  get  a  look  at  her  Jose  !  I  am  so  sure, 
Don  Mac,  she  no  forgetting  him !  " 

Don  Mac  did  not  reply  at  once.  His  face  was 
turned  from  Anita,  and  he  was  pulling  on  his 
riding  gloves  and  smoothing  them  with  unusual 
and  elaborate  care.  When  they  became  a  blurred 
and  indistinct  vision  for  a  moment,  he  dashed  the 
back  of  one  of  them  across  his  eyes,  and  pulled 
his  hat  low  because  of  the  glare  of  the  spring- 
time sun. 

209 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  It  is  no  use,  Anita,  girl.  Take  Jose  home, 
and  comfort  Perenza.  The  Senorita  Darrett  does 
not  remember  any  of  us." 

And  it  was  quite  true,  for  as  Galbraith  gave  his 
arm  to  Anchor  Darrett,  and  they  followed  Del- 
fina's  maid  along  the  corridor,  they  passed  a  win- 
dow at  which  the  girl  halted. 

"Is  your  Don  Mac  Leighton  married?"  she 
demanded.  '  There  is  a  woman  on  a  horse  and  he 
is  putting  a  baby  in  her  arms.  How  funny  he 
looks !  A  man  is  so  awkward  with  a  baby.  But — 
is  he  married?  " 

"  No,"  said  Galbraith,  hoping  her  tones  would 
not  reach  through  the  open  window  to  the  entrance 
below,  hoping  that  they  might  not  look  up  and 
see  the  laughing  girl  there  watching  them. 

But  they  did.  Both  heard  her  voice,  but  only 
Anita  lifted  her  eyes,  and  at  sight  of  their  Senor- 
ita, very  pale  still  from  the  accident,  but  smiling 
at  them,  she  uttered  a  little  imploring  cry  and 
held  up  the  baby.  Leighton  caught  her  arm,  said 
a  few  hurried  commanding  words  in  Spanish,  and 
turned  the  head  of  her  horse  so  that  it  moved  out 
of  the  range  of  the  Senorita's  vision. 

Then  only  did  he  glance  up,  lifting  his  hat.  A 
moment  later  the  girl  leaned  forward  eagerly  as 
Ei  Diablo  came  in  view  and  she  saw  the  man  she 
had  expected  to  hate  ride  away  on  the  horse  she 
loved. 

210 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  That  woman  was  crying,"  she  said,  turning  to 
Galbraith.  "  Did  you  not  see  her  ?  Who  is  she  ?  " 

"  The  child's  nurse,"  said  her  guide  and  guard, 
as  they  turned  from  the  window  to  the  room  where 
Delfina  and  the  maid  waited  for  her.  "  Don  Mac 
is  his  guardian ;  they  live  at  his  house !  " 

'  That's  funny,  too,"  commented  the  girl.  "  He 
is  not  old,  yet  he  seems  to  take  care  of  everybody. 
But  why  did  she  lift  up  the  child  to  us  like  that?  " 

"  It  was  to  me,"  said  Galbraith,  "  and  it  was 
to  say  '  good-bye  '." 


211 


XV 

GALBRAITH'S  WATCH. 

Until  the  shadows  began  to  grow  long  across 
the  land,  Anchor  Darrett  slept  like  a  tired  child 
in  the  pretty  room  where  the  maid  had  drawn 
the  curtains  and  half  closed  the  shutters  so  that 
the  interior  became  one  of  soft  tinted  twilight. 
She  had  fallen  asleep  wondering  who  Galbraith 
was.  He  looked  like  a  gentleman,  was  dressed 
like  one,  and  had  really  spoken  to  her  more  than 
the  others;  yet  no  one  had  accounted  for  him. 
He  was  another  friend  of  Felipe's,  of  course. 

She  wondered  when  Felipe  would  be  home;  she 
had  forgotten  to  ask.  Then  she  counted  drowsily 
the  carnations  on  the  wall  paper  between  the  two 
windows  and  was  falling  gently  into  sleep  when 
the  sharp  memory  of  a  man's  voice  came  to  her, 
and  the  firm,  warm  clasp  of  a  hand. 

"If  she  recovers  I  shall  just  as  certainly  ask 
her  to  be  my  wife!  " 

She  opened  her  eyes  with  a  start.  Was  there 
some  one  in  the  room?  Who  had  spoken? 

"  It  was  a  dream,  it  must  have  been  a  dream," 
she  answered  herself.  And  then  after  a  space  of 
drowsy  thought, — "  But  it  was  his  voice — and — 
he  did  hold  my  hand,  and  called  me  '  dear  V 

212 


Miss  Moccasins 

Then  the  voice  and  the  pink  tinted  walls  drifted 
far  away.  Ana  came  twice,  slipping  into  the  room 
and  out  again,  nodding  her  head  reassuringly  to 
Galbraith,  who  was  seated  at  the  end  of  the  cor- 
ridor with  a  magazine  whose  leaves  were  seldom 
turned.  Ana,  who  also  informed  him  that  the 
senora  was  asleep, — a  few  drops  from  the  vial  left 
by  the  doctor  had  effected  that! — tried  in  various 
ways  known  to  coquettish  maids  to  arouse  some 
show  of  interest  in  the  Senor  Braith,  but  he  sat 
there  hour  after  hour,  with  a  closed  book  on  his 
knee,  and  stared  out  stolidly  over  the  most  beau- 
tiful valley  in  the  country.  She  had  thought  Don 
Mac  and  Sefior  Braith  the  two  finest  looking  men 
who  had  ever  been  seen  side  by  side,  as  they  rode 
across  the  lawn  and  stood  for  a  moment  at  the 
entrance  after  dismounting.  She  had  wondered 
how  Dona  Delfina  could  ever  have  given  up  Don 
Mac,  but  now  she  thought  she  knew.  The  Amer- 
icans made  poor  lovers,  and  the  one  in  the  cor- 
ridor who  said  nothing  and  frowned  much  would 
never  win  a  girl  for  himself  as  long  as  grass  grew 
and  water  ran. 

Once  Luigo  appeared  in  the  corridor  of  the 
sleeping  rooms,  and  Galbraith  regarded  him  sharp- 
ly, and  seemed  once  inclined  to  speak  to  him,  but 
the  old  man  passed  silently  on  with  only  one 
swift,  stealthy  glance  at  the  American.  Galbraith 
felt  rather  than  saw  the  venom  of  the  Castro  fao 

213 


Miss  Moccasins 

tion  in  that  glance,  and  he  stood  up  and  stretched 
his  arms  and  stepped  through  the  window  onto 
the  little  stone  balcony,  where  the  ivy  was  send- 
ing out  little  creepers  until  the  scrolls  and  griffin 
heads  carved  thereon  were  almost  covered  by  the 
spreading  green.  From  where  he  stood  the  door 
of  Anchor  Darrett's  room  was  in  as  plain  view 
as  from  inside  the  window.  No  one  could  ap- 
proach it  without  being  seen  by  him,  neither, — and 
this  was  the  point  considered  most  important  by 
'Delfina, — neither  could  the  girl  in  any  return  of 
her  forgetfulness  leave  her  room  without  arousing 
the  temporary  guard. 

But  Delfina  had  forgotten  the  balconies,  and 
Galbraith,  though  in  full  view  of  the  door,  was  a 
trifle  removed,  and  less  likely  to  hear  words  spoken 
on  the  other  side  of  it. 

And  thus  it  was  that  he  heard  no  sound  of  the 
"  Senorita  i  Senorita  mia !  "  murmured  at  Anchor 
Barrett's  window. 

But  Anchor  heard  it  as  it  wakened  her  gently, 
gently  dut  of  her  long,  refreshing  sleep.  At  first 
she  thought  drowsily  that  it  was  the  fragment  of 
a  dream  sounding  in  her  ears  like  that  other  dream 
that  had  brought  her  the  hand  clasp  and  the 
strange  words  with  it.  So  she  lay  with  closed 
eyes  thinking  of  the  days  she  could  not  remember, 
the  days  she  had  been  ill  in  his  house.  They  had 
told  her  so  little,  Delfina  and  the  others!  Noth- 

214 


Miss  Moccasins 

ing  of  the  flood  or  how  they  found  her,  nothing 
of  the  baby.  Strange  how  she  had  forgotten 
that  baby!  Yes,  and  the  old  woman!  And  all 
at  once  she  remembered  that  the  man  who  had 
lifted  them  both  to  her  must  have  been  Galbraith, 
yes,  certainly,  for  the  light  from  the  adobe  had 
shone  plainly  on  his  face ! 

"  Senorita  !     Dona  Anchor !  " 

Then  she  opened  her  eyes  quickly  and  realized 
that  the  voice  was  not  part  of  a  dream. 

Luigo  stood  just  inside  the  half  closed  shutters. 
She  was  not  surprised  to  see  him  there.  In  the 
old  days  Luigo,  though  some  sort  of  a  relation 
of  Felipe's,  had  often  helped  old  Dolores,  their 
only  servant.  She  even  remembered  what  a  good 
cook  he  was,  and  wondered  vaguely  if  he  had 
brought  her  something  to  eat  or  drink.  She  felt 
thirsty. 

"  You  can  come  in,  Luigo.    What  is  it?  " 

"S — sh!"  And  the  dark  hand  was  lifted, 
warning  her  to  silence.  Then  he  came  close, 
watching  the  door  warily.  "  He  is  outside — Senor 
Braith !  They  put  him  there  so  no  one  could  say 
one  word  with  you !  Si  you  listen,  I  tell  you." 

Anchor  shrank  a  little  against  the  pillow,  the 
old  face  was  so  strangely,  desperately  eager. 

"  I — don't  know  what  you  mean,"  she  faltered. 
;<  Why  must  no  one  speak  to  me?  " 

"  For   same   reason   they   all   telling   you   lies 


Miss  Moccasins 

in  the  sala,  all  of  them !  Mother  of  God  i  Dona 
Anchor,  listen  close  with  the  ears,  but  no  say  no 
word,  no  scream  with  the  mouth !  You  are  de- 
voted to  Felipe,  maybe  you  help  me !  Felipe  no 
would  scream,  and  the  old  Serior  Darrett  he  not 
knowing  how  to  be  afraid!  " 

The  girl  pushed  back  the  hair  from  her  fore- 
head and  raised  herself  on  the  pillows. 

'  You  are  afraid  to  tell  me  something,  some- 
thing I  ought  to  know,  for  fear  I  shall  scream." 

"  Serior  Braith  lying  to  you  about  Felipe.  They 
all  act  the  lie, — doctor,  Dona  Delfina,  Don  Mac, 
—all  of  them !  " 

"About  Felipe!  What  about  Felipe?"  And 
she  caught  him  almost  roughly  by  the  shoulder  as 
the  swift  memory  came  to  her  of  those  men  in 
the  coach  and  the  almost  contemptuous  criticism 
they  had  flung  at  his  name.  "  Speak !  Don't  stand 
staring  at  me!  Where  is  he?  What  has  he 
done?" 

"  Done !  Mother  of  God !  He  has  done  noth- 
ing, he  has  died !  That  is  all,  Senorita !  " 

"Luigo!" 

It  was  not  a  scream,  but  a  hoarse,  smothered 
protest,  and  the  old  man  caught  her  as  she  swayed 
forward. 

"  Dona — Dona  mia !  "  he  muttered,  as  he 
placed  her  back  among  the  pillows  and  sank  on  his 
knees  by  the  bed.  "  Listen !  You  must  be  strong 

216 


Miss   Moccasins 

quick !  You  must  keep  it  all  here."  And  he  tapped 
his  breast  as  she  opened  her  eyes  and  stared  at 
him  in  a  blind  sort  of  horror. 

"  You  never  say  one  word  that  I  have  told  you, 
but  you  listen,  listen  ail  the  time  to  the  Amer- 
icanos. They  talk  maybe  si  they  think  you  no 
knowing.  Then  we  put  all  the  talk  with  the  other 
things,  and  make  a  trap  for  the  right  man." 

'  The  right  man? — Luigo!  " 

She  drew  away  from  him  in  a  sort  of  dread  of 
his  intensity  and  his  rambling,  disconnected  sen- 
tences. A  doubt  of  his  sanity  crossed  her  mind, 
for  he  looked  half  mad  as  he  knelt  there  gesticu- 
lating with  those  long,  brown  fingers,  his  eyes 
wildly  alert,  as  he  half  whispered  his  eager  words 
to  her,  for  the  maid  at  the  door  or  a  step  in  the 
hall. 

"  Dona  Delfina,  she  forgetting  the  double  bal- 
cony and  the  room  on  the  corner  where  the  stair 
is,"  he  leered  triumphantly.  "  They  no  si  afraid 
some  one  come  in,  as  they  are  you  maybe  go  out." 

As  she  stared  at  him,  she  grew  convinced  that 
if  Felipe  was  dead — and  a  wave  of  sickness  came 
over  her  at  the  thought — then,  without  doubt, 
Luigo's  mind  had  been  unbalanced  by  the  shock. 
As  a  boy  Felipe  had  been  his  idol,  and  he  was 
old  now,  old  enough  to  be  childish  in  his  fancies. 
He  had  stolen  to  her  because  the  doctor  had  said 
she  must  not  be  told.  Her  first  impression  of  that 

217 


Miss  Moccasins 

black  dress  of  Delfina's !  Yes,  he  was  perhaps  tell- 
ing her  the  truth  of  Felipe.  That  was  the  cause 
of  the  peculiar  constraint  she  had  felt  but  could 
not  explain. 

She  could  not  explain  it  very  clearly  even  yet, 
for  she  felt  strangely  numb  after  the  electrical 
shock  of  his  words.  Tears  of  self  pity  had  not 
come  to  her  yet,  but  she  was  conscious  of  pity  for 
the  old  man. 

"  It  was  right  to  tell  me.  I  am  not  so  sick  as 
they  think,"  she  said  gently.  "But  I  am  very  tired, 
Luigo.  Go,  please !  I  must  not  talk  of  him  or 
I — I  might  break  down,  and  they  would  know  you 
told  me.  I  want  to  lie  here  still  and  quiet  and 
think— think!" 

"  In  one — two  weeks  the  Senor  Atterly  come 
back,"  he  persisted  eagerly.  "  He  fine  friend  to 
Felipe;  he  hate  these  Americanos  who  know  so 
much;  who  boss  over  the  world!  Ay!  How  he 
is  glad  when  I  telling  him  I  found  the  man  the 
judges  no  find  at  all!  And  when  you  are  beside 
me,  when  you  say,  '  Go  on  make  the  rope  strong, 
hang  the  Americano '  ' 

"Luigo — hush!"  she  said,  clasping  her  head 
in  her  hands  distractedly.  '  You  make  me  ill. 
You  always  hated  Americans.  But  I  am  Amer- 
ican, and  why  should  I  want  ropes  and  hang- 


ings? 


Why?  "    And  the  dark  face  was  thrust  close 
218 


Miss  Moccasins 

to  her  own,  and  she  shrank  from  utter  terror  at 
the  hate  in  his  eyes.  "  You  no  American,  you 
no  want  to  be  revenge?  You  no  American,  you 
go  telling  them  I  found  the  man,  so  he  go  run 
quickly  away?  Good!  "  And  he  got  to  his  feet 
and  folded  his  arms  as  he  glared  down  at  her. 
"Good!  I  no  telling  you  his  name  at  all !  Felipe 

have  a  sister  so  devote "  and  he  flung  back 

his  head  mockingly — "  she  eat  the  loaf  and  drink 
the  wine  long  side  the  murderer !  " 

"  Murderer? — Luigo!  " 

"  The  murderer  of  Felipe !  " 

He  fairly  hissed  the  words  at  her  and  flung  out 
his  hands  in  a  comprehensive,  accusing  way  ap- 
palling to  the  girl,  whose  nerves  were  already 
taxed  to  their  utmost,  and  her  moan  was  almost  a 
scream  as  she  sank  back  shuddering  and  weeping. 

With  a  quick  answering  cry  Galbraith  was  at 
the  door  rapping  and  calling  to  her,  and  a  moment 
later  Ana  came  running  along  the  corridor.  But 
when  they  entered  there  was  no  sign  of  Luigo. 
The  shutters  were  closed  a  trifle  more  tightly  than 
before,  and  the  sound  of  the  girl's  weeping 
drowned  the  sound  of  a  window  closing  from  off 
the  double  balcony. 

Ana  paused  within  the  door,  poised  for  flight 
at  the  first  warning  of  danger,  and  encouraged  to 
venture  thus  far  only  by  the  presence  of  Galbraith, 
stalwart  and  authoritative,  on  the  threshold. 

219 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Is  the  Senorita — the  Senorita  is  ill?  "  she  fal- 
tered, as  the  Senorita  shook  her  head  and  sat  up, 
white  and  trembling. 

"  No,  I  am  not  ill.  I  want  some  one — your 
mistress — or  the  doctor — or  any  one !  " 

"Will  I  do,  Miss  Darrett?"  Galbraith  asked, 
moving  inside  the  door.  She  stared  at  him  a  mo- 
ment, striving  to  calm  the  tempest  of  feeling, 
striving  to  find  words  for  the  horror  Luigo  had 
left  with  her. 

'  Yes,  you  will  do,"  she  said  at  last.  "  You 
will  do  if  you  will  tell  me  the  truth,  if  you  will 
tell  me  whether  it  is  a  crazy  dream,  or " 

She  broke  down  again,  trembling  and  covering 
her  face. 

"  Let  me  know  what   it  is,"   he   said  gently. 
'  You  have  had  a  bad  dream,  perhaps — and " 

"  Perhaps,"  she  said,  suddenly,  letting  her 
hands  fall  from  her  face  and  staring  at  him  with 
almost  accusing  intensity.  "  I  only  want  you  to 
tell  me  two  things:  Is  Felipe — my  brother — 
dead?" 

Ana  shrank  back  with  a  gasp  of  astonishment, 
and  looked  inquiringly  at  Galbraith;  but  he  had 
eyes  only  for  Anchor  Darrett,  and  his  face  paled 
under  its  tan  as  he  said, 

«  Yes— he— is  dead." 

She  drew  a  deep  breath  and  stared  at  him  in 
220 


Miss   Moccasins 

silence  for  a  moment,  stared  as  if  to  force  from 
him  any  fact  he  might  wish  to  hide  from  her. 

"  Was  he  murdered?  " 

Galbraith's  eyes  widened,  and  his  regard 
changed  to  that  of  quick  suspicion.  It  was  the 
first  time  he  had  heard  expressed  in  words  the 
belief  he  knew  was  cherished  by  Darrett's  many 
Mexican  cousins.  His  glance  took  in  the  girl,  the 
room;  every  corner  where  one  of  them  might  be 
hidden,  but  when  his  answer  did  come  it  was  de- 
cided, emphatic. 

"  No,  he  was  not !    Don't  let  such  an  idea " 

But  she  interrupted  him  with  a  gesture. 

"No  more — just  now!  It  is  best  for  me  to 
know  the  truth,  but — I  want  to  be  alone  now — 
please !  " 

"  I  shall  be  in  the  corridor  if  you  should  need 
any  one." 

"  I  shan't,"  she  said  wearily,  "  and  you  need 
not  stay  on  guard  there.  I  know  all  they  were 
trying  to  keep  from  me — and  I  am  not — too  ill — 
to  bear  it.  But  I  am  tired — tired!  I  came  back 
to  my  own  land  for  happiness,  and  it  gives  me — 
this!" 


221 


XVI 

ANCHOR  RETURNS  TO  THE  WORLD. 

In  spite  of  Delfma's  appeals,  she  had  insisted 
upon  hearing  the  details,  even  upon  seeing  the 
papers  with  the  record  of  Felipe's  death.  She  did 
not  tell  how  she  had  learned  of  the  death,  and  the 
suggestion  from  Ana,  that  it  was  through  a  dream, 
struck  a  superstitious  thrill  to  the  hearts  of  the 
Mexican  servants.  They  half  believed,  like  the 
people  of  the  canon,  that  powers  more  than  mortal 
belonged  to  the  new  Sefiorita.  Even  Delfina  did 
not  feel  comfortable  over  it,  but  she  did  not  ques- 
tion, and  she  did  not  oppose  the  reading  of  the 
papers. 

"  Words  are  of  no  use,"  insisted  Anchor.  "  If 
I  don't  learn  all  there  is  to  know,  I  shall  fret 
myself  into  a  fever  imagining  what  it  may  be.  If 
his  death  was  an  accident,  and  there  was  nothing 
horribly  revolting  about  it,  why  should  you  try 
to  keep  it  from  me  ?  " 

Delfina,  after  a  consultation  with  Galbraith, 
had  to  give  in,  and  the  girl,  all  alone,  went  over 
and  over  the  brief  record. 

Thus,  then,  he  had  died  while  she  was  hastening 
to  meet  him.  He  had  gone  down  into  that  valley 
of  the  shadow  as  she  had  ridden  with  high  heart 

222 


Miss  Moccasins 

across  the  ranges.  When  she  made  the  ride  on 
El  Diablo  to  save  the  name  of  Darrett  in  the 
Hermosa,  she  had  been  the  only  living  one  who 
bore  it ! 

She  fought  out  the  battle  of  feeling  all  alone, 
and  then  sent  for  Delfina. 

'  You  poor  dear !  "  began  the  latter,  at  the 
sight  of  the  girl's  white  face,  but  Anchor  stopped 
her. 

"  Don't  do  that!  "  she  said,  avoiding  Delfina's 
eyes.  "  I  am  still  weak  for  some  reason.  If  you 
commence  to  pity  me,  I  may  break  down  entirely, 
and,"  she  said  decidedly,  "  I  don't  mean  to  if  I 
can  help  it.  I  am  not  sick,  but  I  am  likely  to  be 
if  I  stay  here.  Where  are  my  clothes?  " 

"  But  the  doctor  said " 

"  I  shall  go  frantic  if  I  have  to  lie  here  in  bed ! 
Your  doctor  is  a  nice  man,  and  he  knows  a  lot, 
but  he  does  not  know  me." 

And  again  Delfina  had  to  give  way,  and  helped 
Ana  dress  her  in  one  of  her  own  gowns  of  clinging 
black,  deftly  lengthened  by  addition  of  lacy  flounc- 
ings,  and  deftly  belted  by  a  Spanish  scarf  to  cover 
deficiencies  of  fit.  The  girl  shrank  instinctively 
from  the  sombre  draperies,  then  moved  herself  to 
accept  them. 

"  My  own  trunks, — are  they  nowhere  in 
reach?"  she  asked.  And  then  she  heard  of  the 

223 


Miss  Moccasins 

wrecked  coach,  of  her  lost  boots  and  the  satchel 
that  contained  her  trunk  checks ! 

"  Of  course  Don  Mac  can  get  your  baggage 
anyway,"  said  Delfina,  reassuringly.  "  He  is 
waiting  now  in  the  court  for  the  doctor's  visit,  and 
he  will  blame  me  for  letting  you  get  up !  " 

"  Does  Don  Mac  Leighton,  then,  decide  when 
people  shall  go  to  bed  or  get  up  in  this  Hermosa 
Valley?"  inquired  Anchor,  as  she  gathered  up 
the  papers  concerning  Felipe's  death. 

As  the  swish  of  Delfina's  train  was  heard  on 
the  stair,  the  two  men  looked  up,  and  at  sight  of 
the  girlish  black  robed  figure  beside  her,  both 
arose  in  astonishment.  But  while  Galbraith  took 
a  step  forward  in  protest,  Leighton  moved  back. 

"She  would  come  down!"  explained  Delfina. 
"  My  authority  was  no  sort  of  use." 

"  Neither  would  theirs  have  been,"  said  An- 
chor, and  holding  her  hand  out  to  Galbraith,  "  You 
were  good  to  me,"  she  said  simply. 

He  hesitated  and  glanced  at  Leighton,  then 
took  her  hand. 

"  A  cloudy  sort  of  kindness,"  he  observed. 
"  We  would  all  do  a  lot  more  if  we  could." 

"  Because  I  am  Felipe's  sister? "  she  asked 
wistfully,  so  much  she  wished  to  hear  some  one 
welcome  her  for  Felipe's  sake,  some  one  to  dis- 
prove that  first  impression  she  had  received  of 
Felipe's  standing  in  He-rmosa.  Again  Galbraith 

224 


Miss  Moccasins 

glanced  at  Leighton,  but  the  latter  only  bowed 
assent  as  he  placed  a  chair  for  Delfina. 

"  Not  entirely,"  replied  Galbraith  at  last.  "  You 
see,  when  we  first  began  to  want  to  do  things  for 
you,  we  didn't  know  whose  sister  you  were.  You 
were  only,"  he  added,  "  the  Sefiorita  of  the  Indian 
shoes, — *  Miss  Moccasins.' ' 

"Miss ?" 

"  Moccasins,"  he  stated.  "  You  know  there 
was  some  time  before  we  found  any  other  name  for 
you,  and  then  we  found  the  wrong  one!  But 
'  Miss  Moccasins '  was  what  the  Mexicans  called 
you,  and  it  seemed  a  good  enough  name." 

"  It  is,"  she  assented.  "  I  don't  care  what  they 
call  me,  so  long  as  they  all  got  out  of  that  awful 
canon.  I  know  you.  You  followed  to  help  me 
that  night.  Tell  me  all  that  happened  after  I — 
forgot." 

So  Galbraith  told  her  all  he  thought  best,  told 
her  how  Leighton  had  dragged  himself  across  the 
fields  until  he  had  found  her,  told  her  of  old  Pe- 
renza,  and  promised  to  drive  her  soon  to  see  the 
people  and  the  places.  And  all  the  time  Leighton 
spoke  of  business  affairs  with  Delfina,  though  she 
strove  in  vain  to  discuss  the  personal  affairs  of 
that  day,  and  the  change  the  revelation  had  made 
for  them  all. 

"  I  may  not  see  you  for  several  days,"  he  in- 

225 


Miss  Moccasins 

sisted,  "  and  I  have  to  take  this  opportunity  to 
mention  the  details  you  should  know." 

"You  are  going  away?"  she  asked,  in  some 
dismay,  as  she  glanced  at  Anchor.  She  plainly 
expressed  her  dislike  of  his  absence  for  so  long 
a  time.  '  You  are  going  now?  " 

"  Yes,  to-night,"  he  replied.  "  Galbraith  will 
be  in  call  if  you  need  either  of  us,  and  he  is  worth 
two  of  me.  I  have  business  near  Santa  Barbara." 

There  was  a  lull  in  the  conversation  just  then, 
and  his  words  came  clearly  to  Anchor. 

"  Santa  Barbara !  "  she  repeated,  with  a  little 
sob  in  her  voice.  "  Oh,  I  wonder  how  long  it 
will  be  until  I  can  make  that  trip.  I  am  not  ill, 
you  know,  only  my  head  was  hurt,  and  I  suppose 
I  won't  dare  make  railway  journeys  until  the  doc- 
tor says  so,  but  oh,  I  want  to  go !  " 

"  To  Santa  Barbara?  "  asked  Delfina. 

"  Near  there,  to  our  little  old  home,  '  Treasure 
Trove,'  you  know.  " 

She  sighed,  leaning  back  and  gazing  with  half 
closed  eyes  at  the  picture  she  fancied  there.  "  Not 
big  or  grand  like  this,  you  know,  but  a  real  adobe 
in  a  forest  of  flowers !  I  think  I  have  lived  on 
the  memory  of  it  all  the  time  I  was  imprisoned  in 
the  snow  and  ice  back  East.  I  know  I  have  a 
mental  record  of  all  the  great  trees  of  roses.  I 
used  to  write  of  them  to  him,  to  Felipe !  "  And 
again  there  was  the  miserable  effort  to  keep  back 

226 


Miss   Moccasins 

a  sob.  "  He  kept  them  all  pruned  and  cared  for, 
and  the  old  house  ready  and  waiting  for  me !  This 
is  all  very  fine,  Delfina,  grand  in  many  ways;  but 
I'l^  never  feel  that  I'm  quite  back  in  my  old  land 
until  I  hear  the  birds  singing  around  in  the  old 
adobe  again !  But  even  there,  even  there,  I  shan't 
find  him!" 

She  dropped  her  face  in  her  hands  and  her 
shoulders  shook  with  silent  weeping.  Delfina  got 
up  abruptly  and  walked  to  the  far  end  of  the 
sala.  The  two  men  looked  at  each  other  across 
the  girl's  bowed  head. 

Delfina  knew,  and  they  knew,  what  those  prom- 
ises of  Felipe  had  amounted  to!  Delfina  at  that 
moment  felt  towards  the  weeping  girl  just  as  she 
had  felt  towards  the  people  who  were  unlucky 
enough  to  have  been  caught  in  the  flood.  Leigh- 
ton  also  arose  and  walked  to  and  fro  under  the 
palms  in  the  court.  Only  Galbraith  remained  be- 
side her,  and  mechanically  picked  up  the  papers 
she  had  let  slip  from  her  lap. 

''  I — should  not  break  down  like  this,"  she  said 
at  last,  lifting  her  head  and  speaking  more  to  him 
than  the  others.  "  But  it  is  all  so  overwhelming, 
and  much  of  it  so  strange." 

He  nodded  without  speaking  and  she  leaned 
back  closing  her  eyes,  while  he  smoothed  and 
folded  the  papers  she  had  let  fall.  Leighton, 
halting  by  the  archery,  saw  the  headlines  of  one 

227 


Miss   Moccasins 

of  them, — big,  black  and  red  letters  announcing 
the  shooting.  He  stared  at  Galbraith  in  amaze- 
ment, and  with  two  steps  was  beside  him,  gripping 
his  arm.  « 

"  What  in "  he  began,  half  fiercely,  but 

checked  his  words  as  Anchor  opened  her  eyes  and 
looked  at  him  and  then  down  at  the  papers. 

"  Yes,"  Galbraith  confessed.  "  You  need  not 
try  to  annihilate  us  with  looks,  Mac !  I  knew  you 
would  object,  and  so  would  Dr.  Elroy,  but  neither 
of  you  were  here,  and  she  thought  she  knew  best." 

"  I  did,"  said  Anchor,  nodding  her  head. 
"  Don't  you  see  I  am  less  feverish?  I  could  not 
wait,  I  had  to  learn  for  myself  whether " 

She  paused  abruptly  and  looked  at  the  two  men. 
iWere  not  these  the  Americans  whom  Luigo  had 
doubted?  This  one  beside  her  who  had  been  so 
considerate,  ever  at  her  call,  and  that  other,  who 
scarcely  spoke,  but  who  had  cared  for  her  when  she 
was  helpless,  who,  though  wounded,  had  dragged 
himself  in  the  track  of  the  flood  until  he  had  found 
her!  She  did  not  want  it  to  be  so,  yet  she  knew 
that  his  was  the  voice,  the  sole  memory  she  brought 
back  with  her  out  of  those  weeks  of  unconscious- 
ness. She  rebelled  at  the  fact,  and  she  hesitated 
about  confiding  to  him  the  real  reason  why  she 
had  insisted  on  reading  at  once  all  records  of  the 
death  in  the  adobe. 

228 


Miss   Moccasins 

But  It  was  he  who  questioned  her  when  she 
hesitated. 

"  Yes,  you  wanted  to  learn  for  yourself  wheth- 
er  " 

"  Whether  the  death  was  an  accident,  or  wheth- 
er I  must  get  well  quickly  to  help  hunt  down  the 
murderer." 

"  Anchor!  "  exclaimed  Delfina  in  protest.  "  Do 
you  suppose  for  a  minute  that  if  such  work  was 
to  be  done  I  should  have  neglected  it?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  girl  slowly;  "  but  we  might  see 
things  in  a  different  light,  and  I  wanted  to  look 
for  myself." 

"  And  the  reading  has  cleared  the  doubt  from 
your  mind?  "  persisted  Leighton,  while  Galbraith, 
with  the  papers  in  his  hand,  sat  silently  staring 
at  the  cascade  of  water  falling  over  the  aquatic 
plants  in  the  center  of  the  court. 

"  I  think  it  has,"  said  Anchor,  thoughtfully. 
''  Whatever  he  meant  to  do  with  those  revolvers — 
and  he  had  enemies ! — he  probably  had  good  rea- 
son for  arming  himself.  But  whatever  his  pur- 
pose was,  it  certainly  was  not  to  use  the  revolvers 
on  himself,  and  there  is  not  a  trace  of  evidence  to 
show  that  there  was  any  one  with  him.  No,  I 
don't  think  the  coroner  made  any  mistake;  Felipe 
was  certainly  loading  the  revolver  when  the  car- 
tridge exploded.  There  seems  nothing  else  to 
think.  If  there  were " 

229 


Miss   Moccasins 

1  You  would  think  it,"  said  Delfina  suddenly. 
'  You  look  as  if  you  want  to  think  it." 

"  No,  I  don't,  Delfina.  But  if  it  is  true,  if  it 
should  be  true,  I  want  to  know  it !  " 

"And  then?"  queried  Galbraith,  speaking  for 
the  first  time.  Delfina  noted  the  curious  hesitat- 
ing way  he  spoke,  and,  looking  at  him,  noticed 
the  same  tense,  yet  questioning,  expression  on  his 
face.  But  he  did  not  observe  her  scrutiny.  His 
eyes  were  turned  on  Leighton,  and  Leighton  was 
waiting  for  Anchor's  answer. 

"  And  then,"  she  repeated,  turning  on  Gal- 
braith, "  then  they  would  find  that  in  shooting 
Felipe  they  had  not  cleared  the  Hermosa  Valley 
of  Darrett  blood!  There  would  be  enough  left 
to  fight  his  battles !  " 

"  Oh,  don't,  Anchor,"  said  Delfina,  appealingly. 
4  You  are  not  strong  enough  even  to  think  of  it 
yet.  It's  too  terrible  to  talk  about.  Luigo  has 
become  almost  a  maniac  over  the  same  idea.  Wait 
until  you  are  quite  well  before  you  think  of  it  too 
much." 

"Is  it  true  that  Luigo's  mind  is  affected?" 
asked  Anchor,  quickly. 

"  Oh,  I  scarcely  know.  On  all  other  points  he 
is  as  rational  as  he  ever  was,  but  on  this  one — well, 
I  advise  you  to  avoid  him.  He  will  only  make  you 
miserable  with  his  suspicions  and  fancies." 

"  He  imagines  things?  " 

230 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  I  should  say  so !  I  had  some  friends  come 
to  stay  with  me,  but  they  couldn't  endure  him. 
The  women  almost  had  hysterics  when  they  found 
him  listening  around  their  windows.  And  the 
men — well,  he  simply  trailed  the  men  like  an  In- 
dian, especially  the  Americans!  And  they  all 
found  some  sudden  reason  for  taking  their  wives 
and  sisters  and  going  home.  He  is  just  as  likely 
to  trail  either  of  you,  or  both  of  you,"  she  said, 
looking  from  one  to  the  other  of  the  two  men. 

"  It  is  well  to  be  warned,"  said  Leighton,  look- 
ing at  his  watch. 

"  I  must  leave,  if  I  am  to  catch  my  train,  senora. 
I  am  pleased  to  find  Miss  Darrett  so  remarkably 
well,  considering.  Is  there  anything  I  may  do 
for  you?  "  he  asked,  interrupting  himself. 

"  Nothing, — unless  you  stay  home  and  post- 
pone that  trip?"  and  she  smiled  at  him,  appeal- 
ingly. 

"  Can't  possibly,"  he  said  briefly.  "  And  for 
you?"  he  said,  turning  to  Anchor. 

"  Nothing,"  she  said  with  a  little  sigh.  "  You 
are  going  near  the  spot  I  love,  but  since  I  can't 
go,  too "  and  she  shook  her  head  sadly. 

"  Now,  if  you  were  really  a  Spanish  cabellero," 
remarked  Delfina,  with  a  cynical  little  smile,  recall- 
ing Leighton's  avowal  by  the  couch  that  morning, 
"  if  you  were,  you  could  find  that  spot  and  the 
roses  in  it,  and  bring  back  a  bunch  of  them  with 

231 


Miss  Moccasins 

a  pretty  speech.  But  the  men  nowadays  seldom 
.see  the  flowers  they  send  with  their  cards;  the 
florist  substitutes  what  he  pleases." 

"  No  substitute  could  equal  my  Marechal  Niel, 
growing  by  the  door  of  our  old  adobe,"  declared 
the  girl.  '  You  have  beauties  here;  I  can  see  them 
in  every  direction.  But  my  mother  planted  that 
one!" 

"  I  trust  you  will  be  able  to  visit  it  soon,"  said 
Leighton,  civilly,  "  and  that  you  will  find  it  all 
that  you  dream  of." 

"  Ah,  I  am  so  sure  of  that  last,"  she  breathed 
fondly.  "  Felipe  knew  what  a  joy  the  place  was 
to  me.  Did  he  ever  take  you  to  visit  it,  Delfina?  " 

"  No,  he  never  did,"  replied  the  Gonzales  heir- 
ess, with  a  little  shrug  unseen  by  Anchor.  Felipe 
had  known  his  bride  too  well  to  fancy  she  would 
care  to  visit  a  little  old  house  all  very  well  for  the 
laboring  people,  but 

Then  Leighton  went  away  and  later  Galbraith 
went  back  to  the  Mission.  But  in  the  days  to 
follow,  he  grew  not  to  mind  the  Mexicans  who 
flitted,  like  swarthy  ghosts,  on  his  track.  Even 
when  he  met  Luigo  in  the  Hacienda  house  or 
grounds,  which  he  did  almost  daily,  he  got  into 
the  way  of  calling  some  reckless,  cheery  Spanish 
salutation,  for  which  he  was  repaid  in  scowls. 

The  world  of  Hermosa  had  grown  a  little  bet- 
ter place  to  stay  since  a  pretty  girl  commanded 

232 


Miss   Moccasins 

attention.  He  uttered  no  word  now  of  taking  a 
run  across  the  border  for  mental  or  physical  re- 
cuperation. He  worked  like  a  Trojan  through 
the  day,  doing  Leighton's  work,  as  well  as  his 
own,  and  keeping  in  the  saddle  from  dawn  till 
sundown.  But  after  that  his  horse  was  headed  for 
the  Hacienda,  and  the  hour  there  was  recompense 
for  the  labors  of  the  day.  Delfina  grew  glad  of 
his  coming,  while  Anchor  had  not  exactly  the  prim, 
temperate  traits  of  the  aged  maiden  ladies  by 
whom  she  had  been  adopted.  Yet  Delfina  found 
herself  on  guard  over  her  own  speech  when  in 
the  girl's  presence,  and  Delfina  had  never  been 
accustomed  to  guards  of  that  sort.  The  girls 
whom  she  knew  would  never  have  ridden  that 
fiend  of  a  horse  across  the  ranges,  but  neither 
would  they  lift  their  brows  at  the  sort  of  popular 
slang  her  brother's  widow  considered  chic. 

'  Yet,  I  can  imagine  her  in  a  fury  of  passion," 
thought  Delfina,  watching  the  girl  sometimes.  "  I 
could  even  imagine  her  smashing  things.  But  she 
looks  contemptuous  if  a  woman  uses  slang  before 
her,  and  shocked  if  I  lift  a  skirt  above  the  knee ! 
Ugh !  Such  women  are  simply  not  feminine.  Fem- 
inine women  come  down  off  their  stilts  when  there 
are  no  men  around!  Who  would  expect  Felipe's 
sister  to  be  a  mixture  of  a  fury  and  a  nun  ?  " 

She  had  seen  no  evidences  herself,  she  had  only 
heard  the  account  given  by  Pedro  of  how  the 

233 


Miss   Moccasins 

Seriorita  had  laughed  when  El  Diablo  had  pranced 
and  tried  to  break  away  in  the  stable  yard.  And 
now  that  her  health  no  longer  required  the  isola- 
tion Leighton  and  the  doctor  had  insisted  upon  at 
the  Mission,  now  that  they  could  speak  to  her  face 
to  face,  there  were  many  wives  and  children  of 
the  Mexican  workmen  w7ho  came  barefooted  and 
bareheaded  up  the  drive  to  the  Hacienda,  and 
waited  at  the  entrance  for  a  word  from  their  Seno- 
rita of  the  Moccasins. 

Even  this  was  a  wordless  irritation  to  Delfina. 
To  her  no  such  homage  had  been  paid,  though  all 
of  them  lived  on  her  land.  To  Felipe,  who  would 
have  brought  good  times  and  prosperity  to  them 
all,  they  had  given  nothing  but  grudging,  jealous 
civility,  and  now  a  mere  chance  stroke  of  luck 
had  brought  them  to  this  girl's  feet! 

"  That's  the  way  they  knuckle  down  to  Mac 
Leighton !  "  she  remarked  to  Galbraith,  as  Anchor 
went  out  to  meet  some  of  the  flood  refugees  in  the 
court.  "  And  what  has  Mac  Leighton  done  for 
them  any  more  than  any  other  landowner  in  the 
country?  Look  at  those  old  people  almost  touch- 
ing the  ground  before  her!  What's  the  reason 
some  people  win  all  sorts  of  races  without  even 
trying?" 

'  You  ought  to  know,"  replied  Galbraith,  who 
was  growing  almost  diplomatic  in  the  atmosphere 
of  the  Hacienda. 

234 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  I  don't  know,"  she  said  Impatiently.  "  They 
would  not  kow-tow  to  you  or  me  in  that  way,  or 
tag  around  after  us  with  rosaries  or  flowers !  And 
it  isn't  as  Felipe's  sister  they  ask  to  see  her,  mind 
you !  No,  they  scarcely  realize  that  her  name  is 
Darrett  at  all,  and  they  never  call  her  that !  It  is 
'  Our  Senorita  '  they  ask  for,  their  Senorita,  mind 
you !  And  one  stuttering  idiot  came  this  morning 
with  a  little  lead  saint  for  her,  and  asked  for  the 
'  Senorita  Miss  Moccasins  ' !  " 

Galbraith  smiled  grimly.  He  could  see  the  irri- 
tation she  felt  at  being  ignored  in  her  own  grounds 
by  those  barefooted  laborers.  Gonzales,  her 
father,  had  not  been  by  any  means  a  model  man, 
yet  he  had  held  the  liking  of  his  workmen.  His 
wife,  the  Dutch  seiiora,  could  not  have  won  their 
approval,  though  she  had  stripped  her  fat  neck 
of  its  diamonds  and  showered  them  on  the  swarthy 
tribe.  And  the  blonde  Delfina,  whose  short  figure 
was  already,  at  twenty,  almost  matronly,  was  So 
truly  their  Dutch  senora's  daughter  that  they 
never  forgot  it. 

She,  on  her  part,  hated  them.  She  knew  that 
if  her  people  had  been  of  the  real  Californians, 
or  even  of  the  old  Mexican  families,  it  would  all 
have  been  different;  then  she  could  have  lived  the 
life  of  a  princess  in  such  a  princely  domain.  As 
it  was,  her  position  was  almost  that  of  a  pretender. 

235 


Miss  Moccasins 

There  are  yet  a  few  things  left  to  be  won  instead 
of  purchased. 

She  had  always  been  annoyed  by  the  attitude 
of  the  people  towards  herself,  especially  after  her 
marriage  with  Felipe;  but  she  had  never  felt  the 
annoyance  so  acutely  as  since  the  advent  of  An- 
chor, nor  could  she  content  herself  any  longer  with 
the  contemptuous  thought  that  they  were  too 
ignorant  to  show  proper  respect  to  a  lady.  A 
glance  through  the  archway  at  Anchor  and  her 
visitors  dispelled  that  fancy. 

"  I  am  sick  of  the  place !  "  she  confessed  to 
Galbraith.  "  It  never  has  been  a  home  for  one 
minute  to  anybody!  And  Mac  Leighton  is  doing 
all  he  can  to  compel  me  to  retain  it." 

"  But  he  isn't  shackling  you  down  to  live  here," 
observed  Galbraith.  '  You  could  rent  it  for  five 
years,  live  abroad,  and  cut  a  dash  of  your  own  in 
some  country  you  like  better." 

"  Yes,"  she  assented.  "  But  I  shan't  leave  until 
I  see  this  fight  out  between  Atterly  and  Leighton. 
Atterly  is  trying  to  get  a  decision  from  the  court 
that  I  attained  my  majority  on  marriage.  If  he 
wins,  he  has  an  option  on  the  place,  for  Felipe  and 
I  signed  it.  If  the  option  holds  good,  it  will  mean 
a  lot  of  spot  cash  instead  of  a  little  driveling  per- 
centage to  spend  each  year." 

236 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  A  little  driveling  percentage  of  fifty  thou- 
sand! "  commented  Galbraith. 

"  Well,  my  mother  would  pay  that  for  one 
necklace !  What  use  is  money  if  it's  tied  up?  Mac 
Leighton  is  blind  to  his  own  success.  If  Hermosa 
were  boomed  as  a  winter  resort — and  it  would 
win,  too,  so  close  to  the  mountains,  with  plenty  of 
water  and  a  branch  road  running  up  here — why, 
it  would  double  the  value  of  the  Mission  rancho  in 
a  year.  Can't  you  make  him  see  that?  " 

"  Afraid  not !  "  admitted  Galbraith.  "  You 
see,  Mac  reasons  it  this  way:  In  the  first  place, 
Mr.  Atterly  does  not  represent  the  railroad;  he 
only  hopes  to  if  he  can  euchre  you  out  of  the 
estate.  Hold  on,"  he  protested,  as'Delfina  faced 
him  indignantly.  "  I  am  not  saying  this  to  hamper 
you.  Fight  it  out  with  Mac!  But  you  see,  it's 

about  this  way:  You  gave "  he  hesitated 

over  the  name — "  you  gave  your  husband  power 
of  attorney?  " 

"  Well.    Of  course  I  did." 

"  Exactly.     And  he  used  it." 

"Of  course  he  had  to  attend  to  the  estate!" 
she  replied,  crossly. 

"  Do  you  happen  to  know  how  much  he  used 
on  mortgages  given  to  Mr.  Atterly  and  his  friends, 
or  how  much  he  got  down  on  that  option?" 

"Mortgages?"  she  said,  sharply;  "I  don't 
know  what  you  mean !  " 

237 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  I  thought  perhaps  you  didn't,"  he  observed. 
11 1  don't  know  a  great  deal  myself.  But  Mac 
Leighton  has  been  doing  a  lot  of  sitting  up  at 
nights  trying  to  sift  things,  and  I  guess  he  is  on 
the  home  stretch.  Those  mortgages  are  due  about 
the  time  the  option  expires  and  before  your  ma- 
jority." 

"Well?"  she  asked,  after  staring  at  him  in 
puzzled  silence. 

"  Well,  Mac  is  hustling  to  raise  the  money  to 
pay  them  off  before  that  date — that's  all." 

"  If  he  thinks  I  had  no  legal  right  to  sign  that 

power  of  attorney, — "  she  began.     And  then  she 

stopped  suddenly,  as  if  struck  by  a  sudden  thought. 

'  Why,  say! '  None  of  us  need  to  pay  them,  need 

we?" 

"Mr.  Atterly  is  counting  on  the  property  pay- 
ing them." 

"  But  if  Mac  Leighton  is  right  about  Mr.  At- 
terly,— I  don't  acknowledge  he  is! — but  if  he  is, 
and  I  had  no  legal  right  to  sign  those  papers,  At- 
terly can't  collect  it,  no  one  can  collect  any  debts 
made  by  Felipe,  not  a  cent.  And  serve  them  right, 
too!" 

Galbraith  smiled — and  agreed. 

"  Then  what  does  Mac  mean?  "  she  demanded. 
"  Is  he  trying  to  raise  more  money  on  the  prop- 
erty, my  property,  to  pay  off  debts  he  considers 
unjust?  Why,  what  a  fool!" 

238 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Yes,"  agreed  Leighton's  friend.  "  But  that's 
the  sort  of  fool  he  is.  However,  if  I  were  you, 
I  would  not  worry  about  his  raising  money  on 
the  property.  I  don't  know  the  details,  of  course, 
but  I'm  sure  he  will  hand  back  your  property  to 
you  intact.  He's  been  a  slave  to  that  idea  ever 
since  he  returned." 

She  got  up  and  walked  to  the  window,  where 
she  stood  for  a  minute  looking  out.  Then 

'  What  a  fool !  "  she  said  again.  But  her  tones 
had  lost  their  sharp  aggressiveness,  and  again  Gal- 
braith  smiled. 

After  that  conversation,  Delfina  grew  particu- 
larly gracious  to  him.  He  had  not  only  placed 
Leighton's  attitude  in  a  new  light,  but  she  ac- 
knowledged to  Ana  that  he  was  a  godsend  as  re- 
garded the  Senorita.  If  he  had  not  been  on  hand 
daily,  she  would  have  had  to  invite  some  people 
down  to  help  her  over  that  first  week,  and  the  most 
of  the  girls  she  knew  would  be  much  too  "  larky  " 
to  introduce  just  now,  when  Anchor  went  over  and 
over  the  mementos  of  Felipe,  and  strove  to  adjust 
herself  to  the  idea  of  life  without  him,  and  com- 
forted herself  with  the  thought  of  his  many  per- 
fections. 

And  that  was  the  very  hardest  of  all  to  endure, 
especially  in  the  presence  of  another,  and  Delfina 
thanked  her  lucky  stars  because  the  other  was 
Galbraith,  who  knew  everything.  Thus  three  days 

239 


Miss  Moccasins 

went  by,  and  Galbralth  was  detailed  to  take  the 
Seriorita  for  her  first  drive.  Deliina,  with  a  sig- 
nificant grimace  and  remark  concerning  her  last 
drive,  excused  herself  to  Galbraith  from  accom- 
panying them. 

The  ponies  were  brought  around  by  Luigo, 
who  had  kept  sedulously  in  the  background  of 
late.  He  gave  Anchor  one  long,  keen  look  as  she 
stepped  into  the  carriage,  and  she  gripped  Gal- 
braith's  arm  unconsciously. 

"Are  you — nervous  about  going?"  he  asked. 
But  she  shook  her  head  with  averted  eyes  until 
the  old  Mexican  had  crossed  back  of  the  vehicle 
and  was  out  of  her  range  of  vision. 

"  It  is  Luigo.  He  makes  me  half  afraid.  Fe- 
lipe's death  has  changed  him  so." 

'  Yes,  it  has,"  he  agreed,  and  took  his  place  be- 
side her,  as  a  mounted  messenger  loped  his  mus- 
tang along  the  drive  and  presented  a  box  he  car- 
ried to  Delfina. 

"  Wait, — Anchor! — this  is  for  you!  "  she  said; 
and  then  her  careless  expression  changed  as  she 
recognized  the  writing.  "  Of  course  it  may  not 
be  of  importance." 

"  Please  open  it  for  me,"  said  the  girl,  leaning 
forward.  "  I  am  not  expecting  anything,  but — 
oh,  give  them  to  me !  My  own,  own  roses !  Oh, 
you  beauties,  you  beauties !  " 

She  laughed  with  tears  in  her  eyes  as  she  bur- 

240 


Miss  Moccasins 

led  her  face  in  the  fragrant  flowers,  and  Galbraith, 
watching  her,  envied  the  man  who  sent  them. 

"  It  is  my  first  real  breath  of  home !  "  she  said. 
"And  he  sent  them!  " 

Delfina  looked  at  her  sharply.  The  girl  was 
so  rejoiced  with  the  message  from  her  old  garden 
that  she  scarcely  noted  her  own  words,  or  how  they 
might  be  read.  But  Delfina  had  a  memory  of  an- 
other unconscious  confession  in  the  carriage  that 
day;  who  could  tell  but  that  the  girl's  mind,  on 
that  point,  would  remain  unchanged? 

'  Yes,"  she  said,  smiling  strangely.  "  I  thought 
he  would  send  them;  you  remember  I  suggested 
it?" 

4  You  are  both  very  kind,"  said  Anchor,  hand- 
ing them  back.  "  I  will  keep  just  this  one.  Will 
you  have  the  others  put  in  water  for  me?  " 

Then  Galbraith  spoke  to  the  ponies  and  Anchor 
leaned  back  in  the  carriage  and  looked  silently  at 
the  beautiful  park  and  the  fields  and  sloping 
stretches  of  orchard  with  the  mountains  looming 
back  of  them.  Galbraith  watched  her  to  see 
if  any  point  brought  remembrance  to  her,  but  none 
did. 

'  They  were  going  to  be  married  once,  I  heard 
about  it,"  she  said,  at  last,  abruptly.  "  Were  they, 
was  he  in  love  with  her?  And  now  that  Felipe  is 
gone,  will  they " 

18  241 


Miss   Moccasins 

She  did  not  finish  the  sentence,  but  Galbraith 
understood. 

"  No,  they  won't !  "  said  Galbraith  promptly. 
"  It  never  was  what  you  call  a  love  affair.  Gon- 
zales  and  he  were  friends  in  a  way,  business 
friends;  but  Gonzales  thought  as  much  of  him  as 
if  he  had  been  his  father.  She  was  a  pretty  little 
girl  then,  and  still  at  school.  Gonzales  was 
afraid, — afraid  to  leave  her  without  a  protector 
he  could  trust.  That's  how  it  was  fixed  up — Gon- 
zales proposed  it.  He  told  me  so  himself!  And 
he  died  happy  because  Mac  agreed.  That's  about 
the  record,  I  guess.  She  never  cared  very  much 
for  anybody  except  Delfina,  till  your  brother 
came." 

"  It  is  good  of  you  to  tell  me  that,"  she  said 
gratefully.  "  I  knew  he  had  enemies,  business 
enemies  I  supposed.  I  heard  the  marriage  dis- 
cussed in  the  stage.  It  was  because  Felipe  was  a 
stranger  among  them  that  they  resented  him.  And 
then  your  Don  Mac  was  a  favorite,  and  so 

She  halted  uncertainly,  and  again  he  helped  her 
out. 

"  That's  it,  exactly !  Some  of  them  did  resent 
the  slight  to  Leighton.  But  just  understand  this, 
and  don't  forget  it,  no  matter  what  any  one  tells 
you:  The  marriage  made  no  friction  between 
Leighton  and  your  brother, — never  for  a  minute ! 
Leighton  was  the  first  man  to  offer  him  a  hand, 

242 


Miss   Moccasins 

the  first  one  to  stand  by  him  and  force  the  Her- 
mosa  Valley  to  follow.  Don't  you  forget  that, 
either!" 

Her  face  lit  up  at  his  words:  It  was  so  good 
to  know  that  Felipe  won  loyal  friends!  Then 
after  a  moment's  thought  she  shook  her  head. 

"  Still,  there  is  something  I  can't  explain,  if 
they  were  really  friends,  something  I  remember 
myself!  I  spoke  of  quarreling  with  him  the  first 
time  we  met!  Well,  it  was  not  that  exactly,  but 
I  did  resent  things  he  said  about — Felipe." 

'  That  night?  "  he  said,  looking  at  her  intently. 

'  That  night,"  she  said,  nodding  her  head. 
'  The  flood  was  coming.  He  warned  me  out  of 
its  way — and  he — he  said — it  was  Felipe's  work! 
He  said  the  Barrett  name  was  a  curse  on  the 
valley — and — and  then  he  tried  to  stop  me  when 
I  rode  to  save  the  people  Felipe  had  helped  to 
endanger." 

"  But  he  did  not  know  who " 

"  Oh,  no;  he  did  not  know  who  I  was.  It  was 
not  a  minute  w.e  stood  there  in  the  canon.  All  we 
thought  of  was  the  flood,  and  he  said  it  was  Fe- 
lipe's fault." 

"  Don't  bear  malice  for  that,"  he  said  gently. 
"  Any  one  else  will  tell  you  the  same." 

"Oh,  would  you?" 

'  Yes,  as  a  man  who  knows  something  about 
masonry,  I  should  have  to  say  yes.  The  trouble 

243 


Miss  Moccasins 

was  your  brother  did  not  understand  such  work, 
and  he  was  badly  advised.  The  foundation  of 
that  dam  had  been  condemned  in  Gonzales'  time. 
It  should  never  have  been  continued.  Leighton 
came  back  from  Mexico  to  stop  it,  and  got  here 
a  day  too  late." 

"  But   Felipe   never   intended,    never   dreamed 
>> 

"  No,  he  never  supposed  it  would  happen,  of 
course;  yet  you  might  go  easy  on  Leighton  for 
turning  bitter  when  he  knew  there  were  dozens 
of  lives  to  be  ground  out  along  that  creek,  and  he 
helpless  to  save  them." 

"  You  are  a  good  friend,"  she  said,  earnestly. 
"  You  tell  me  things  plainly,  and  the  rest  try  to 
cover  them  up  because  I've  been  sick." 

"  That's  because  they  have  sense,  and  I'm  lack- 
ing, I  reckon." 

They  had  reached  the  Mission,  and  the  ponies 
were  held  in  to  a  walk.  Anchor  looked  with  in- 
terest at  the  weather-stained  buildings,  and  ex- 
claimed with  delight  at  the  garden  of  lilies. 

"It  is  perfect!  This  is  the  real  California  I 
love!  I  am  thankful  for  every  glimpse  of  it!  " 

An  old  woman,  swinging  an  infant  to  and  fro 
in  a  hammock,  looked  up  as  if  startled  at  the  girl's 
voice.  She  let  fehe  hammock  hang  idly  and  came 
towards  them,  her  hands  upraised  and  her  face 
alight. 

244 


Miss  Moccasins 

"Mother  of  God!"  she  cried.  "You  have 
come  back — our  Senorita !  " 

"  It  is  the  old  woman  who  nursed  you  when 
you  were  unconscious,"  Galbraith  said  softly. 
And  Anchor  thanked  him  with  a  look. 

"  It  is  nice  of  you  to  be  glad  to  see  me,"  she 
said,  hesitatingly,  a  little  confused  by  the  exuber- 
ance of  the  welcome.  "  I  must  have  been  a  great 
trouble  to  you  all." 

"A  trouble!  Ai  yi !  The  trouble  for  us  is 
when  you  going  away!  When  Anita  she  telling 
me,  I  cry  so  I  can  have  no  tears  left  at  all !  " 

She  almost  wept  as  she  spoke,  and  then  laughed 
at  her  weakness,  and  in  her  delight  did  not  see 
the  wonder,  quickly  veiled,  in  the  girl's  eyes. 

"  I  am  glad  to  come  back,"  she  said,  soothingly. 
''  I  will  come  many  times,  if  you  will  let  me !  " 

"  I  telling  that  Anita  how  she  lies;  she  say  you 
never,  never  come  back!  I  knowing  always  you 
come  back.  How  you  sleeping  without  Jose  by 
the  side?" 

At  this  query,  Anchor's  self  possession  failed, 
and  she  turned  a  startled  glance  on  Galbraith.  He 
pointed  to  the  child  in  the  hammock." 

'  That  is  Jose,"  he  remarked.  "  It  is  the  child 
you  saved  from  the  flood." 

"  Oh !  "  she  breathed,  reproachfully.  "  And 
you  never  told  me  what  a  fine  surprise  you  had 

.  245 


Miss  Moccasins 

prepared  for  me!  And  what  a  little  beauty  he 
is!" 

She  evaded  Perenza's  question  by  admiring 
Jose,  and  Perenza  was  too  excited  to  notice  it. 
To  find  that  their  Seriorita — Don  Mac's  Sefiorita 
— had  really  come  back  once  more  changed  all 
the  world  of  the  Mission  garden! 

"  Ai !  If  he  was  but  home  again — Don  Mac !  " 
she  muttered,  as  she  watched  Anchor, — Anchor, 
who  was  in  the  hammock  with  Jose,  kissing  and 
petting  him  for  the  sake  of  his  great  brown  eyes — 
eyes  like  Felipe's ! — and  because  his  small  hand 
closed  so  tightly  over  her  proffered  finger. 

"  Ai,  if  he  was  but  home  again.  If  he  could 
but  see  her  in  the  fine  lacy  dress  and  the  charm 
of  the  new,  decided  manner!  Surely,  surely,  if 
the  man  was  not  a  fool,  he  would  never  let  her  out 
of  his  sight  again!  " 

So  she  thought  while  she  talked  of  other  things, 
and  called  Anita  to  bring  some  wine  or  lemon 
drink  for  the  Seriorita  such  as  she  used  to  make 
for  her.  And  on  this  hint,  Anchor  greeted  Anita 
also  with  a  pretense  of  remembrance,  much  to  the 
latter's  delight.  But  the  only  memory  she  re- 
called to  Anchor  was  that  of  the  woman  seen  from 
the  window  of  the  Hacienda,  the  woman  who  had 
wept  and  held  up  the  child — and  whom  Senor  Don 
Leighton  had  promptly  sent  away. 

A  glance  at  Galbraith  confirmed  the  shadowy 

246 


Miss  Moccasins 

memory  as  a  fact,  and  all  at  once  she  realized 
that  those  tears  had  meant  much.  The  grief  of 
them,  and  the  joy  of  the  old  woman,  linked  her 
to  the  garden  of  the  Old  Mission  more  surely  than 
any  bonds  yet  forged  linked  her  to  the  parks 
of  the  Hacienda.  Who  would  weep  with  grief 
there  if  she  should  suddenly  be  called  away?  Or 
who  would  weep  with  joy  at  her  return? 

The  first  affection,  the  first  caresses  to  greet  her 
in  California  met  her  in  the  home  of  the  man  she 
had  meant  to  dislike!  She  sighed  impatiently  as 
she  realized  it,  and  looked  at  the  rose  he  had  sent- 
that  morning,  and  wished  all  things  had  been  dif- 
ferent ! 

Then  Jose,  who  had  fallen  asleep  again,  had 
to  be  carried  to  his  own  little  cot,  and  Anchoi 
had  to  view  that,  as  well  as  the  little  room  where 
she  had  struggled  back  to  unconscious  life. 

'  To  think  that  I  could  forget  such  a  perfect 
place !  "  she  lamented.  "  My  one  recompense  is 
that  I  am  seeing  it  again.  And  this  quaint  dream 
of  a  place  is  his  home?  There  is  nothing  to  com- 
pare with  it !  " 

"  Nothing  so  old  in  this  corner  of  the  county," 
agreed  Galbraith.  "  It  needs  repairs  all  around, 
but  Mac  hates  to  tackle  it  for  looks." 

"  I  should  think  so."  And  Anchor  walked  the 
length  of  the  patio,  and  sat  on  the  old  stone  rim 
of  the  fountain  and  watched  the  doves  circling 

247 


Miss  Moccasins 

above  the  old  tile  roof.  "  In  pictures  of  Mexico, 
I  have  seen  just  such  interiors,  but  never  anywhere 
else.  Our  old  adobe  I  thought  lovely,  but  it  is  a 
very  modest  affair,  a  mere  cottage.  But  this — 
this  suggests  a  rambling  old  one-storied  castle,  if 
a  castle  could  be  a  ground-floor  affair !  This  court 
is  perfect,  so  is  the  garden,  and  the  delight  of  my 
soul  is  the  furnishing;  there  surely  is  not  a  chair 
or  table  that  was  ever  made  by  an  '  American  V 

"  I  reckon  you  are  right,"  agreed  Galbraith. 
"  And  every  piece  was  made  to  stay  in  its  place, 
for  they  weigh  like  lead,  and  never  a  nail  in 
them!" 

"  I  have  dreamed  of  such  places,"  said  Anchor, 
going  in  and  out  of  the  different  rooms  leading 
from  the  many  arched  corridor  in  which  never 
the  sound  of  a  driven  nail  had  been  heard  in  the 
building.  "  And  to  think  that  for  weeks  I  actually 
lived  here,  saw  these  perfect  pictures  at  every 
turn,  and  forgot  every  one  of  them !  " 

Galbraith  said  little.  He  had  wanted  to  see 
her  once  more  by  the  fountain  in  the  court,  or 
under  the  thick  green  shrubbery  of  the  old  garden, 
and  now  that  she  was  there,  he  was  content  to 
stand  apart  and  watch  her.  Galbraith  was  having 
his  own  brief  dream,  knowing  full  well  that  it  was 
a  dream,  and  the  awaking  was  as  certain  as  day 
dawn. 

At  the  Hacienda  Hermosa  she  had  not  been  so 

248 


Miss  Moccasins 

truly  a  part  of  the  picture  as  under  the  rafters  of 
the  Mission  corridors.  Something  of  the  discord 
of  that  first  day  in  the  house  of  Gonzales,  its 
shocks,  its  revelations,  had  created  an  atmosphere 
never  to  be  dispelled  for  the  girl  weighed  down 
by  the  tragedy  of  Felipe's  death  and  haunted 
against  her  will  by  the  memory  of  Luigo's  wild 
fancies. 

And  only  in  the  home  of  the  man  she  had  meant 
to  hate  did  she  find  real  peace,  real  joy  at  her 
coming,  and  warm  human  hands  outstretched  to 
her,  from  the  child  in  the  hammock  to  old  Perenza 
leaning  on  her  cane  ! 

And  the  sympathy  affected  her  as  the  sunlight 
a  belated  rose.  She  was  alive  with  glowing,  eager 
interest.  She  heard  over  again  the  story  of  how 
Don  Mac  had  brought  her  home  in  the  gray  dawn 
of  that  awful  morning,  of  how  he  had  scarcely 
eaten  or  slept  for  many  days  after,  and  how  he 
was  ever  close  to  her  door. 

Perenza  told  it  all  most  willingly.  Much  as 
she  admired  the  returned  Senorita  in  the  fine 
clothes  and  with  the  fine  manner,  yet  she  missed 
the  frank,  childish  note  of  the  girl  with  the  moc- 
casins, the  appealing,  affectionate  creature  who 
had  been  Don  Mac's  shadow,  and  who  frankly  la- 
mented when  he  was  out  of  her  sight. 

This  more  dignified  Senorita  would  not  lament 
for  such  a  cause,  of  course  not !  But  she  was  even 

249 


Miss  Moccasins 

more  beautiful  than  ever,  and  all  Perenza's  hopes 
came  back  with  a  rush  as  the  eyes  of  the  girl 
warmed  and  glowed  at  the  recital  of  those  days 
when  Don  Mac  alone  fed  the  courtful  daily,  doc- 
toring the  sick,  clothing  the  children,  finding  work 
for  the  women  and  men,  and  burying  the  dead ! 

"  And  Don  Mac  so  sick  all  that  time !  "  added 
Leighton's  historian,  "  so — oh,  so  white  and  so 
dragging  the  foot  like  this,  even  when  every  day 
in  the  saddle !  Ai !  mouths  had  been  empty  and 
maybe  more  graves  full,  si  he  had  no  come  back 
in  time.  The  good  God  sending  him  on  account 
of  that  thousand  times  cursed  Hermosa  dam !  " 

Anchor  got  up  suddenly  and  walked  to  the 
other  end  of  the  corridor.  Was  there  no  place 
where  she  could  evade  that  one  bitter  subject? 
Curses — curses  always  for  Felipe's  work! 

"Mary  Mother!"  muttered  Perenza.  "My 
tongue  should  be  split  before  I  spoil  it  all  like 
that !  A  mule  would  have  more  sense !  I  all  the 
time  forgetting  how  he  is  her  brother!  " 

She  looked  accusingly  at  Seiior  Braith ;  he  might 
have  told  her!  He  pretended  not  to  see.  He 
realized  all  the  girl  felt,  but  he  realized  also  that 
it  might  be  just  as  well  for  her  to  learn  that  Leigh- 
ton  was  not  singular  in  his  condemnation  of  Dar- 
rett's  work. 

After  a  moment  Perenza  got  up  and  with  a 

250 


Miss  Moccasins 

curious  little  smile  hobbled  after  Anchor,  and  took 
hold  of  her  sleeve. 

"  Come !  "  she  said,  persuasively.  "  A  little 
while  ago  you  laughing  on  account  of  them  Indian 
shoes,  how  they  giving  you  a  name.  Come!  I 
showing  you  them  shoes." 

The  girl's  fingers  closed  understandingly  over 
the  old  brown  hand.  She  knew  the  old  woman 
had  forgotten  the  relationship  when  she  spoke. 
She  knew,  also,  that  she  must  get  used  to  hearing 
bitter  words  when  Hermosa  dam  was  mentioned. 
But  it  was  so  soon,  so  very  soon,  and  it  seemed 
but  yesterday  she  heard  of  his  death  for  the  first 
time! 

Perenza  led  her  to  the  angle  of  the  corridor. 
A  Navajo  blanket  hung  across  an  open  door,  and 
she  pushed  it  aside  with  her  cane,  still  holding  the 
girl's  hand,  and  led  her  within. 

It  had  been  like  the  other  sleeping  rooms,  a 
cloister  for  some  long  forgotten  monk.  Anchor 
hesitated  on  the  threshold,  as  she  noticed  som- 
breros, great  Mexican  spurs,  and  wonderfully 
made  saddles,  scattered  about  the  little  room,  and 
hung  about  the  wall.  One  picture  hung  where  the 
light  fell  on  it  softly  through  the  narrow  window. 
The  painting  was  of  a  woman,  young,  and  darkly 
beautiful, — only  a  lace  draped  head  and  one  white 
hand  and  wrist,  but  it  caught  Anchor's  glance  and 
held  it. 

251 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  The  Senora  Mercedes,  our  own  Don  Mac's 
mother,"  said  Perenza  proudly.  "  She  was  the 
old  governor's  granddaughter.  So  very  grand — 
that  family!  But  all  them  girls,  they  marry  with 
Americanos.  So  Don  Mac,  he  all  Americano, 
now,  I  think." 

"  How  lovely  she  was,"  said  the  girl  softly. 
And  something  in  the  mother's  eyes  held  her  own 
as  did  the  eyes  of  the  son.  Even  his  voice  came 
back  to  her  as  she  looked, — his  voice,  and  the 
compelling  hand  clasp,  and  the  words, — the  haunt- 
ing, ever  recurring  words  by  which  she  had  seemed 
drawn  back  to  life  and  memory. 

"  Dios !  Yes,  she  is  the  most  lovely  of  all !  " 
agreed  Perenza.  "  She  all  the  time  La  Favorita 
in  those  days.  Senor  Don  Mac  Leighton  no  is 
like  new  Americanos,  who  make  the  jump  into 
dollars  like  yesterday.  He  all  the  time  with  all 
his  grandfathers — a  fine  cabellero — how  you  call 
the  gentleman." 

"  I  did  not  know.  I  thought  he  was  all  that 
you  call  American — like  me !  " 

"  No,  he  is  Californian.  I  live  on  his  great- 
grandfather's rancho  when  I  was  a  baby!  " 

"Here?" 

"  Sure !  But  they  losing  all  their  rancho,  just 
like  the  common  peoples,  losing  them  all  many 
times  before  ever  seeing  this  place.  He  going  to 
Mexico  when  little  yet.  After  while  he  grow  big, 

252 


Miss  Moccasins 

he  making  the  money,  a  houseful !  When  he  is  tired 
of  the  mines  he  come  back  here  with  that  Senor 
Gonzales.  By  and  by  he  wants  a  rancho  to  live 
like  his  grandfathers  lived  before  the  American 
ever  coming  at  all.  Oh,  he  pretty  smart!  He 
making  money  all  the  time,  where  the  grandfath- 
ers losing  it !  "  And  Perenza's  old  eyes  watched 
the  girl  warily  to  see  what  effect  the  recital  of  his 
wealth  and  his  cleverness  would  make  on  this 
American  Senorita,  who  must  not  think  that  the 
Gonzales  had  all  the  money  in  the  valley! 

But  the  girl  scarcely  heeded  that.  She  was 
thinking,  as  she  looked  at  the  picture  of  his 
mother,  how  fine  was  the  life  of  those  many 
grandfathers  in  the  days  before  the  race  for  money 
began  in  California. 

"  And  he  bought  all  this  just  to  keep  one  corner 
primitive  and  old  fashioned,"  she  said  at  last. 
'  That  is  fine !  I  should  love  to  do  that  in  my 
own  little  adobe,  but  it  is  hopelessly  modern  com- 
pared to  this." 

"  She  go  die  long  before  Don  Mac  make  the 
money  for  her,"  said  the  old  woman,  nodding 
her  head  towards  the  picture.  "  So  he  carry  that 
here  with  his  own  hands,  and  no  other  woman  ever 
have  her  face  on  his  wall.  Look  all  around, 
Senorita,  you  see !  " 

Anchor  smiled  and  nodded;  no  other  picture 
was  in  sight,  at  all  events. 

253 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  No,  she  is  like  a  saint  to  him — his  mother," 
went  on  Perenza,  still  regarding  the  girl  strangely. 
"  Her  picture  is  beside  the  shrine,  you  see !  No 
other  ever  meaning  enough  to  him  for  her  face  to 
go  there.  But  now — now,  Senorita,  si  you  look 
close " 

She  had  caught  Anchor's  hand  again,  and  was 
gently  drawing  her  closer  to  the  shadowy  wall 
beside  the  picture.  The  little  niche  built  in  all 
the  rooms  as  a  shrine  was  unusually  shadowed 
in  this  one  by  the  heavy  frame  of  the  painting 
beside  it.  But  as  the  girl  approached  more  closely, 
close  enough  to  see  what  the  little  stone  shelf  held 
there  in  the  shadow,  she  halted  with  a  gasp  of 
amazement  and  turned  a  startled,  half  accusing 
look  on  the  old  woman. 

"  Mother  of  God !  No !  "  said  Perenza,  hastily 
reading  the  glance  aright.  "  My  hands  never 
touched  them  Indian  shoes  at  all !  It  is  the  day 
he  coming  home  from  that  Gonzales  Hacienda 
and  leaving  you  there.  Anita  is  crying,  and  so 
am  I.  Ai  Dios,  that  was  a  day !  And  Don  Mac — 
he  not  saying  anything.  He  just  picking  them  up, 
and  I  thinking  he  taking  them  to  you.  Dios! 
How  I  get  an  ague  quick  when  I  seeing  them 
here !  I  say  a  dozen  '  Ave  Marias '  and  some 
'  Our  Fathers  ' !  He  putting  the  shoes  of  your 
feet  where  he  never  put  the  picture  like  another 
senorita's  face !  " 

254 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Perenza !  " 

Anchor's  face  flamed  scarlet.  She  turned  as  if 
to  avoid  seeing  what  he  had  not  meant  her  to  see, 
but  Perenza  grasped  her  skirt. 

"Listen,  Senorita!"  she  said,  pleadingly.  "I 
praying  you  come  for  a  long  time.  When  I  see 
him  watch  by  your  door,  I  know  all  the  other 
senoritas  he  ever  spoke  to  is  forgot.  I  know  it  is 
for  you  he  have  wait.  And  listen,  listen,  Senorita ! 
When  you  wake  up  on  that  bed  you  wake  up  same 
like  a  little  child  in  your  mind.  You  walk  only 
beside  him.  You  hold  his  hand  every  minute. 
All  at  once  he  can  no  forget  you — his  Senorita  of 
the  Moccasins!  Don  Mac  thinking  you  a  poor 
child  with  no  home  all  these  days  when  he  loving 
you  and  his  house  covering  you,  and  now,  Senorita, 
now,  Mother  of  God!  now  you  are  a  fine  lady, 
are  you  too  proud  to  throw  him  a  look  of  the  eye? 
You  no  care  at  all  that  he  going  with  white  face 
like  a  dead  man,  and  that  he  no  sleeping  any  more 
except  with  your  slipper  against  his  cheek?  You 
no  care  at  all?  " 

Anchor  strove  vainly  to  unclasp  the  tenacious 
brown  fingers.  She  felt  helpless,  trapped!  She 
could  feel  her  cheeks  flame  and,  turn  her  head  as 
she  would,  she  knew  those  sharp  old  eyes  had  seen 
the  tears  in  her  own. 

"  Ai,   zi !     Senorita !     You  are  not,  then,  too 

255 


Miss  Moccasins 

proud?  Ai  —  Sancta  Maria  —  the  tear!  Ah, 
Senorita,  the  cheek  telling,  the  eyes  telling,  the 
tears " 

With  a  final  wrench,  Anchor  tore  herself  loose 
and  stood  staring  at  Perenza  angrily.  The  tears 
still  sparkled  in  her  eyes,  but  she  dashed  them 
away. 

"  But  the  tongue  is  not  telling !  "  she  declared, 
lifting  her  head  defiantly.  "  You  have  no  right 
to  bring  me  here,  to  tell  me  this !  And  Don  Mac, 
Don  Mac  never  looks  at  me,  never  thinks  as  you 
say!  And  I,  I  tell  you  I  would  cut  the  tongue 
from  my  head  before  it  should  confess — con- 
fess  " 

"  The  truth,  Senorita  mia?  " 

The  girl  looked  at  her. 

'  You  are  a  very  stubborn,  very  troublesome 
woman,  Perenza !  " 

Perenza  uttered  a  contented  little  chirrup  of  a 
laugh. 

"  Ah,  when  he  speaks,  Senorita  mia,  then  you 
will  confess !  " 

"  He  will  never  speak,  Perenza,"  said  the  girl 
softly,  as  she  passed  from  the  dusk  of  the  little 
room  onto  the  sunflecked  and  vine  wreathed  cor- 
ridor. 

But  softly  as  the  words  were  spoken,  they 
reached  the  ears  of  the  man  who  stood  in  the  old 

256 


Miss   Moccasins 

olive  orchard  just  outside  the  window.  His  face 
was  white  as  he  leaned  close  to  the  wall  that  old  Pe- 
renza  might  not  discover  him. 

But  old  Perenza  was  on  her  knees  beside  his 
bed,  mumbling  prayers  of  gratitude,  for  the  last 
fear  had  been  driven  from  her  mind  of  ever  see- 
ing Delfina  Gonzales  mistress  of  the  Mission 
rancho !  And  when  the  prayer  was  ended  and  she 
clattered  with  her  stick  out  into  the  patio,  It  was 
to  find  the  Senorita  of  the  Moccasins  entering  the 
carriage  at  the  garden  gate,  and  doing  so  with  con- 
siderable haste. 

A  little  ways  along  the  hedge  Diego  fastened  up 
a  broken  bridle,  and  demanded  of  the  sleepy  Mex- 
ican boys,  why  they  had  not  taken  charge  of  Don 
Mac's  horse  when  he  arrived,  instead  of  letting 
it  range  as  it  pleased  in  the  old  orchard. 

"  Dios!  Don  Mac  never  coming  home  that  we 
see,"  protested  one  of  the  boys.  "  Most  like  he 
just  work  somewhere,  and  letting  the  horse  find 
home." 

"  Let  us  go,"  said  Anchor  to  Galbraith.  "  Del- 
fina will  wonder  at  our  long  stay." 

Perenza  nodded  her  head  and  chuckled  as  they 
drove  away. 

"  Ai — ay !  It's  a  good  day's  work,  Perenza ! 
"  So  young  and  so  pretty,  and  the  man  only  a 
man  after  all!  He  never  will  see  the  Dutch 

257 

17 


Miss  Moccasins 

Senora's  daughter  again,  when  this  girl  looks  at 
him.  You  no  can  drive  so  fast,  Seiiorita,  but  how 
Don  Mac  can  catch  up,  and  you  forgetting  you 
leave  that  rose  from  your  bosom  on  his  pillow ! " 


XVII 

THE   SENORITA  RESCUES  GALBRAITH. 

But  despite  Perenza's  hopes,  Don  Mac  made 
no  attempt  to  ride  after  the  carriage  of  the  Senor- 
ita  that  day,  or  the  next,  or  the  next  after  that! 
In  fact,  Delfina  finally  sent  for  him  and  received 
a  diplomatic  note  of  thanks  and  the  information 
that  he  must  forego  the  pleasure  of  a  chat  at 
present:  her  friend,  Mr.  Atterly,  was  winning 
a  few  points  in  the  Hermosa  game,  and  he,  Leigh- 
ton,  was  losing  sleep,  nightly,  planning  counter- 
moves. 

"  Nonsense !  "  said  Delfina,  petulantly,  tossing 
the  note  from  her.  '  The  man  must  think  I'm 
a  fool  to  believe  that!  Can't  he  plan  here  as 
well  as  at  the  Mission?" 

"  The  Mission  and  Mac  don't  see  much  of 
each  other  lately,"  remarked  Galbraith.  "  He 
is  not  there  one  day  out  of  five." 

Delfina  shrugged  her  shoulders,  and  looked  her 
disbelief. 

'  What  happened  the  day  you  stopped  there 
with  Anchor?  "  she  demanded.  "  He  came  back 
from  Santa  Barbara  that  day." 

"  Nothing  happened.     We  didn't  see  him.'* 

14  Well,  it's  curious !     He  has  not  come  near 

259 


Miss  Moccasins 

since  then,  and  Anchor  will  ride  or  drive  in  any 
earthly  direction  but  towards  his  rancho." 

"  Oh,  well,  she  may  not  fancy  that  particular 
road." 

"  Don't  be  an  idiot !  It's  the  prettiest  road  in 
the  country." 

While  they  talked,  Anchor  rode  up  the  path 
slowly,  so  slowly,  so  thoughtfully  that  she  scarce- 
ly heeded  when  she  reached  the  portal,  and  the 
stopping  of  her  horse  aroused  her  with  a  start. 

"  I  never  saw  you  creep  along  like  that  before," 
declared  Delfina.  "  Did  you  fall  asleep?" 

"  No,  I  was  thinking,  and  ever  since  the  flood, 
the  operation  of  thought  in  this  cranium  is  slow 
and  painful.  Delfina,  do  you  know  where  Luigo 
is?" 

"  No,  indeed !  He  disdains  all  of  us  lately. 
Marta  tells  me  he  threatens  to  go  to  Mexico. 
Good  luck  send  the  day !  " 

"  I  was  in  the  village,"  said  Anchor  abruptly, 
"  and  I  saw  him  come  out  of  a  lawyer's  office  with 
a  slender  man,  a  gentleman  who  wears  glasses." 

"  Atterly !  "  interrupted  Delfina. 

"  Perhaps.  But  why  should  Mr.  Atterly  pat 
Luigo  on  the  shoulder  and  tell  him  his  fortune 

was  made?  And  why Where  is  Senor 

Leighton  ?  "  she  asked  suddenly,  interrupting  her- 
self. 

260 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  He  was  leaving  the  Mission  as  I  was  starting 
here." 

"Was  he?    Is  he  coming  here  this  evening?" 

Delfina  gave  a  little  petulant  laugh. 

"  I  don't  know,  and,  if  you  will  forgive  a  short 
answer,  I  don't  care!  I  sent  for  him  and  he  re- 
turned me  a  very  lame  excuse." 

"  Do  you  want  him?"  asked  Galbraith.  But 
Anchor  shook  her  head. 

'  They  mentioned  his  name,  that  is  all.  They 
mean  to  annoy  him  in  some  way.  The  stranger 
said  they  could  side-track  Leighton  now  and  give 
him  something  beside  Hermosa  to  put  his  time  in, 
with.  Then  he  laughed  and  patted  Luigo's  shoul- 
der, and  said  his  fortune  was  made.  Now  what 
could  Luigo  have  done  for  them?  " 

Her  question  was  addressed  to  Delfina.  But 
Delfina  did  not  know  and  did  not  care.  If  Mr. 
Atterly  was  in  the  village,  common  courtesy  de- 
manded that  he  should  call  on  her  before  consult- 
ing with  her  servants !  Of  course — Luigo  was  not 
exactly  a  servant — still 

Anchor  was  drawing  off  her  gloves  at  the  foot 
of  the  stairs  which  she  was  about  to  ascend,  when 
she  noticed  Galbraith's  alert,  uneasy  expression. 

"  Do  you  know  what  Luigo  could  have  told 
them?"  she  asked  pointedly. 

"  No,  I  don't,"  he  answered,  picking  up  his  hat. 

261 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  But  I  guess  I'll  be  moving.  If  they  are  laying 
any  trap  for  him,  it  is  as  well  he  is  told." 

"  Thought  he  was  not  home !  "  said  Delfina, 
with  an  air  of  pique. 

"  He  is  with  the  county  surveyor  along  division 
line  by  the  old  Mission  dam,  at  least  he  started 
there  at  sun  up." 

Delfina  smiled  skeptically. 

"You  never  fail  him — do  you?"  she  re- 
marked. 

"I  hope  not." 

"  Not  even  when  it's  a  case  of  stretching  the 
truth  ?  "  she  persisted. 

"  Not  even  if  it's  a  case  of  a  whopping  big  lie !  " 
he  said,  smiling  at  her.  "  But  this  time  it's  the 
truth!" 

"  Of  course,"  she  agreed.  "  A  sort  of  Damon 
and  the  other  fellow!  How  long  has  it  lasted?  " 

"  Oh,  we've  been  pards  since  he  lifted  me  out 
of  a  pit  of  trouble  ten,  twelve  years  ago.  And 
to  make  sure  that  I  wouldn't  tumble  in  again, 
he  didn't  let  go  his  grip  on  me  after  he  got  me 
out." 

"  Now  what  sort  of  trouble  could  you  need  help 
in  ?  "  derisively  queried  Delfina,  as  she  glanced  at 
his  six  feet  one  of  stalwart  manhood. 

"  Oh,  just  trouble !  A  man  may  weigh  a  hun- 
dred and  seventy  and  not  have  an  ounce  of  sense, 
you  know !  " 

262 


Miss  Moccasins 

Anchor  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs  regarded  them 
soberly.  Delfina  was  laughing,  but  Galbraith, 
glancing  at  the  girl,  grew  suddenly  serious. 

"What  is  it,  Senorita?"  he  asked.  "Have 
you  any  commands  before  I  go?" 

"  No,"  she  said,  doubtfully,  "  no  commands — 
but- 

"  Well,  what  is  it?  "  And  Delfina's  tones  were 
slightly  impatient.  The  seriousness  of  the  girl 
was  a  sort  of  kill-joy  to  Felipe's  widow.  "  Don't 
be  afraid  to  speak." 

"  Afraid!  "  The  girl's  eyes  flashed  darkly  for 
an  instant.  "  I — it  is  not  quite  my  place  to  speak, 
perhaps,  but  I  could  not  help  thinking  that  while 
you  two  laugh  over  some  pit  he  saved  you  from, 
there  are  others  digging  pits  for  him,  perhaps, 
and  no  one  to  warn  him !  " 

Galbraith  stared  at  her  a  moment  and  then  a 
dull  red  flush  crept  over  his  face. 

"  I  am  everlastingly  at  your  feet  for  that  :°- 
minder.  Adios !  " 

The  next  instant  he  was  gone  and  a  little  later 
they  heard  the  clatte-r  of  his  horse's  feet. 

Delfina  flung  herself  into  a  chair  with  an  im- 
patient sigh. 

'  Will  nothing  content  you  but  to  drive  all 
the  men  away?"  she  demanded.  "First  Mac, 
now  Braith!  Of  course  Galbraith  is  not  much 
of  a  cavalier,  yet  he  is  a  man !  " 

263 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  You  think — you  think  Don  Mac  stays  away 
because — because  I  am  here?  "  asked  Anchor,  sud- 
denly, sitting  down  on  the  lower  step  and  regard- 
ing Delfina  with  questioning,  compelling  eyes. 
"You  think  that?" 

"Ah-h?"  And  Delfina's  eyes  half  closed  as 
she  leaned  back  and  looked  at  the  girl  strangely, 
almost  insolently,  before  speaking.  Then  she 
laughed,  a  little,  short,  mirthless  laugh  that  made 
Anchor  shrink  instinctively. 

"  So  that  is  how  the  cat  jumps,  is  it?"  asked 
her  sister-in-law.  "  It  isn't  Galbraith  at  all,  it  is 
Mac!" 

"  I  don't  know — I  don't  know  what  you  mean," 
said  the  girl,  falteringly. 

.  "  Oh,  yes,  you  do !  Own  up,  now !  "  And  Del- 
fina's voice  and  laugh  tried  hard  to  give  her  words 
the  color  of  careless  good  nature.  "  I  guess  you 
remember  more  of  your  stay  at  the  Mission  than 
vcu  let  on.  You  and  Mac  have  been  playing 
the  rest  of  us  for  tenderfeet,  eh?  Now,  tell  the 
truth:  Did  you  quarrel,  or  what  did  happen 
the  day  Braith  took  you  over  there?  Mac  got 
there  before  you  left,  and  about  an  hour  after 
he  sent  you  those  roses.  That  much  I  do  know. 
But  from  that  day  to  this  he  has  never  shown  his 
face  here!  Now  what  happened  that  day?" 

Anchor's  thoughts  flew  back  to  the  little  shrine 
in  his  sleeping  room  and  her  moccasins  in  the 

264 


Miss  Moccasins 

shadow  there.  Delfina  saw  the  blush  creeping 
over  the  girl's  cheeks,  and  felt  a  cold  anger  at 
the  discovery  that  the  girl  was  in  some  way  ac- 
countable for  Leighton's  absence, — and  Braith's, 
too!  She  felt  an  annoyance  that  even  Galbraith 
had  obeyed  so  quickly  her  lightest  shade  of  a  com- 
mand. Delfina  had  been  the  only  feminine  ruler 
of  the  Hermosa  for  a  long  time,  and  she  resented 
the  fact  that  this  girl  could,  for  any  cause,  keep 
Mac  Leighton  away,  and  she  resented,  also,  the 
tell-tale  blush. 

Anchor  got  up  and  went  over  to  the  window, 
for  Delfina's  laugh  annoyed  her  more  than  the 
persistent  questions. 

"  Nothing  happened,"  she  said,  a  trifle  coldly. 
'  We  only  talked  with  the  old  housekeeper  and 
I  rocked  the  baby  asleep  in  the  hammock.  Your 
Sefior  Leighton  was  not  there." 

"  He  was  there — somewhere !  "  declared  Del- 
fina, "  watching  you  doing  duty  as  child's  nurse, 
perhaps,  for  the  child,  they  say,  he  has  agreed  to 
father." 

Her  disdainful  laugh  gave  an  ugly  color  to  the 
speech,  and  Anchor  turned  on  her  suddenly  with 
startled,  darkening  eyes. 

"  He — has  agreed?  "  she  faltered;  and  the  late 
blush  had  faded  from  her  cheek. 

Delfina  did  not  care  for  Mac  Leighton  any 
more  than  of  old,  but  she  had  of  late  been  consid- 

265 


Miss  Moccasins 

ering  several  very  sensible  plans  regarding  the 
Hermosa.  Leighton  had  been  in  a  way  the  foun- 
dation of  them ;  the  devotion  he  had  shown  to  her 
since  Felipe's  death  naturally  could  mean  but  one 
thing,  and  it  was  a  victory  worth  while  to  win  a 
man  like  Leighton  a  second  time.  The  first  time, 
of  course,  Gonzales  had  done  the  proposing  and  it 
had  been  an  affair  of  business,  but  now 

And  this  girl  with  her  big  eyes,  this  girl  who 
had  won  worship  where  she  had  bought  tolerance, 
was  she  to  be  allowed  to  ride  rough-shod  over 
Delfina's  plans  as  she  had  ridden  like  a  tempest 
over  her  lands  that  first  evening  in  the  Hermosa 
Valley  ? 

She  leaned  back  smilingly  and  noted  the  hit 
made  by  her  little  arrow  of  malice. 

"  Oh,  don't  look  so  shocked,  Anchor,"  she  pro- 
tested. "  Your  grand  aunts  did  not  teach  you 
much  about  the  real  world,  I  guess.  Mac  is  bet- 
ter than  the  most  of  men,  but  there  are  always 
Mexican  girls  around  the  ranches,  you  know,  and 
someone  has  to  look  after  their  children!  " 

"  But  this  child — you  must  be  mistaken ! — this 
child  is  the  one  I  saved,  the  one  I  carried  out  of 
the  flood.  That  is  why ' 

Delfina  interrupted  her  with  a  shrill  little  laugh. 

"  Oh,  that  is  why  Senor  Leighton  is  to  bring 
it  up  as  his  own,  because  you  saved  it?"  And 
she  laughed  again,  highly  amused  at  the  idea. 

266 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  That  was  a  clever  thing  to  tell  you.  For,  of 
course,  they  had  to  make  up  some  reasonable 
story  when  you  visited  a  bachelor  establishment, 
and  asked  questions  about  the  babies  they  had  not 
time  to  put  out  of  sight!  Oh,  Anchor,  don't  look 
so  shocked  and  solemn  about  it !  You  will  get 
over  your  prudishness  after  a  season  or  two  out 
here." 

"  I  shan't  get  used  to  liars,"  retorted  the  girl. 

"Well,  Mac  didn't  do  that  part  of  it,"  ob- 
served Delfina.  "  He  only  kept  out  of  sight  and 
let  the  others  do  the  romancing  for  him.  But, 
in  future,  it  might  be  as  well  to  be  more  careful 
where  you  pay  visits:  Galbraith  meant  no  harm 
in  taking  you,  but " 

"  And  that  child,  the  child  they  said  I  claimed 
when  I  was  ill,  the  child  they  said  slept  beside 
me,  was  his?  " 

Delfina  nodded  and  yawned  sleepily. 

'  Yes,  I  hear  he  is  adopting  it  legally.  Great 
luck  for  the  little  beggar,  isn't  it?" 

Anchor  made  no  reply.  She  felt  faint  and  sick 
at  heart.  The  perfume  of  those  roses  and  the 
memory  of  the  treasured  moccasins,  had  filled  her 
hours  with  vague  dreams  of  beauty.  Even  the 
music  of  the  child's  laugh  and  its  clasp  of  her 
fingers  blended  into  the  harmony  of  memory  that 
was  hers.  It  all  belonged  to  one  perfect  day. 

267 


Miss  Moccasins 

And  the  day  was  gone,  gone  without  a  hope  left 
of  a  morrow! 

"Are  you  sick,  Anchor?"  demanded  Delfina, 
sharply.  "  Heavens!  you  are  not  going  to  faint, 
are  you  ?  " 

"  I  think  not,"  returned  the  girl,  whose  eyes 
had  closed  for  a  moment  as  she  leaned  against 
the  window  frame.  "  I  am  only  tired." 

"  Well,  for  goodness  sake  go  to  bed  and  get 
rested.  You  frightened  me  silly  for  a  minute. 
What's  that?" 

It  was  a  shouting  mass  of  people  on  the  high- 
way just  outside  the  gates.  Only  their  heads 
could  be  seen  above  the  hedge,  and  they  were 
following  three  men  on  horseback  who  were  re- 
treating before  the  mob  in  an  awkward  fashion, 
half  backing  the  horses  that  they  might  face  the 
shouting,  gesticulating,  threatening  crowd. 

Delfina  hastily  found  a  field  glass,  and  looked 
anxiously  at  the  unusual  commotion. 

"  It's  Sheriff  Mahan !  "  she  cried  in  alarm. 
"  He's  got  a  prisoner  they  are  trying  to  take 
from  him — there  is  another  man  helping  him,  a 
deputy,  I  suppose !  I  can't  see  clear  for  the  hedge, 
but  the  sheriff  is  surely  trying  to  reach  our  gate. 
Oh,  how  horrible!" 

Anchor  picked  up  the  glass,  but  could  see  little 
more  than  Delfina  had  described.  The  backs  of 
the  men  were  towards  her  and  she  could  not  see 

268 


Miss   Moccasins 

their  faces  or  their  horses,  for  the  hedge.  She 
could  see  a  revolver  in  the  sheriff's  hand.  She 
could  see  that  he  was  shouting  and  arguing  with 
the  mob,  and  she  could  see  that  the  deputy  kept 
very  close  to  the  third  man  and  that  their  horses 
were  backed  slowly,  slowly  towards  the  gate. 

"  They  can't  open  the  gates  without  turning," 
she  cried,  throwing  down  the  glass  and  reaching 
for  her  whip;  "and  they  don't  dare  turn  their 
back  on  that  mob !  " 

"  Anchor ! — Come  back ! — Anchor !  Are  you 
crazy?"  screamed  Delfina,  angrily. 

But  no  reply  came  back.  An  instant  later  and 
Anchor  dashed  around  the  curve  from  the  stables, 
without  a  saddle  and  bent  low  on  a  little  mus- 
tang's back.  She  was  speeding  to  the  gates  to 
reach  them  before  the  men. 

The  shouting  and  curses  blended  with  the  thud 
of  the  nag's  flying  hoofs,  and  it  was  all  a  confused 
riot  through  which  she  heard  no  distinct  word, 
saw  nothing  ahead  but  the  great  iron  gates,  hung 
on  massive  stone  pillars. 

The  three  men  faced  the  circle  of  the  mob. 
As  she  slipped  from  her  horse,  she  saw  the  rea- 
son why  two  of  them  kept  so  close  together,  and 
could  not  manage  their  horses  to  advantage, — the 
prisoner  was  handcuffed  to  the  deputy. 

Their  horses  were  almost  touching  the  gate. 
She  waved  her  hand  and  screamed  to  them,  but 

269 


Miss  Moccasins 

only  a  few  of  the  Mexicans  mounted  on  draught 
horses  saw  her;  no  one  could  hear  her  single 
voice  in  that  roar. 

A  swarthy  Mexican  waved  his  hat  and  cheered 
at  sight  of  her.  Others  leaped  to  the  backs  of 
their  work  horses,  climbing  up  by  the  chains  and 
the  straps  of  the  harness,  standing  erect  and  shout- 
ing at  sight  of  her.  "  The  Senorita !  Our  Senor- 
ita !  "  they  cried. 

The  sheriff  cast  one  glance  over  his  shoulder 
and  saw  a  slender  girl  lift  her  hand  imperatively 
as  she  swung  open  the  heavy  iron  gate. 

"  Quick!  "  he  shouted  to  his  deputy.  "  Inside! 
Quick!" 

The  presence  of  the  girl  had  for  an  instant  a 
bewildering  effect  on  the  leaders  of  the  mob. 
They  cheered  her  presence  there  without  know- 
ing her  intention,  and  before  they  realized  what 
it  was,  the  three  horses  were  inside  and  the  gate 
was  clanged  shut  and  the  girl  locked  it  in  the 
face  of  the  baffled  mob. 

One  man  with  a  curse  drew  a  revolver;  but 
two  others  flung  themselves  on  him  and  dragged 
him  from  the  horse. 

"  No,"  they  shouted  with  one  accord,  "  not  the 
Senorita  !  No  harm  to  the  Senorita  !  " 

This  incident  turned  for  a  moment  the  temper 
of  the  crowd  without;  they  shouted  questions  to 
each  other  instead  of  curses  at  the  sheriff. 

270 


Miss  Moccasins 

Anchor,  breathless  and  exhausted,  leaned 
against  the  gate.  She  saw  the  servants  running 
from  the  house  and  was  conscious  that  one  of  the 
men  had  dismounted  and  was  beside  her. 

"Are  you  hurt,  Senorita?"  he  asked,  quickly. 
But  she  smiled  and  shook  her  head. 

"  No — out  of  breath — that  is  all !  "  she  said, 
pantingly.  "  Oh — I  had  to  run  so  fast!  " 

"  It  was  the  pluckiest  thing  I  ever  saw  a  woman 
do !  "  he  exclaimed,  admiringly.  '  You  saved  me 
my  man  all  right,  and  I  can  telephone  from  here 
for  extras." 

Then  Anchor  looked  around  at  the  two  men 
who  had  ridden  into  the  shade  of  the  great  arbor 
of  the  driveway.  One  was  a  squarely  built,  pow- 
erful-looking young  fellow,  whose  wrist  was 
manacled  to  that  of  the  man  beside  him.  And, 
with  a  sense  of  relief,  Anchor  saw  that  the  third 
man  was  Galbraith. 

"  Oh,  it  is  you !  "  she  remarked.  "  Well,  I  am 
glad  you  are  here.  Are  you  the  sheriff,  or  are 
you  the  deputy?  " 

He  looked  at  her,  a  strange,  steady  look,  then 
he  opened  his  lips  to  speak.  But  no  sound  came, 
and  he  turned  an  imploring  glance  to  the  man 
beside  her. 

But  the  man  beside  her  did  not  see  it.  His 
eyes  were  on  the  face  of  the  very  pretty  girl  who 
had  saved  his  prisoner  for  him. 

271 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  No,  Seriorita,  I  am  the  sheriff,  and  you  have 
helped  me  save  Mr.  Galbraith  from  the  crazy 
Mexicans  out  there.  He  is  under  arrest  for  the 
murder  of  one  of  their  tribe." 

"  Mahan !  " 

Galbraith's  voice  was  half  appealing,  half  com- 
manding, and  it  made  the  sheriff  realize  who  the 
girl  must  be.  His  face  flushed  in  embarrassment. 

"  At  least — they  claim  him — on  the  mother's 
side,"  he  stammered.  "  I — I'm  very  sorry " 

"What  does  it  mean?"  she  asked,  turning  to 
Galbraith.  '  You  are  under  arrest — you !  " 

"  Senorita !  Senorita !  "  called  one  of  the  Mex- 
icans whose  wife  and  children  she  had  saved  from 
the  flood  of  Hermosa,  "  open  the  gate  and  give 
him  back  to  us !  He  has  killed  your  brother,  Sen- 
orita. Give  him  back  and  we  will  crucify  him !  " 

Anchor  leaned  against  the  gate  and  stared  with 
white  face  from  one  man  to  the  other.  Galbraith 
looked  at  her  once,  and  in  very  dread  of  what  the 
shock  might  mean  to  her,  turned  to  the  sheriff. 

"  Mahan,  take  her  away,"  he  said,  in  a  low 
tone.  "  She  has  been  ill,  and  the  whole  miserable 
business " 

"  It  is  true,  Senorita,  it  is  true  by  the  holy 
cross!  "  screamed  the  Mexican.  "  Si  you  lock  the 
gate  with  your  own  hand,  Mother  of  God!  how 
can  we  touch  him?  But  si  you  say  the  word,  one 

272 


Miss  Moccasins 

word,  Senorita !  and  we  tear  down  a  wall  of  stone 
to  get  at  him!  " 

The  sheriff  turned  to  the  girl  with  quick  ap- 
peal. 

"They  could  do  it,  Senorita, — Miss  Darrett! 
They  could  tear  out  that  hedge  like  grass!  It  is 
for  you  to  say  the  word.  It's  a  God-send.  You 
can  influence  them !  " 

"  Speak,  Senorita !  We  all  waiting  the  one 
word!  He  go  killing  your  brother!  " 

The  girl  shrank  again  as  though  the  cry  had 
been  a  physical  blow.  She  lifted  her  eyes  and 
turned  mutely  from  the  face  of  the  sheriff  to  that 
of  Galbraith,  where  it  rested  in  one  long  look  of 
question. 

He  had  uttered  no  word  of  denial,  but  she  held 
up  her  hand  to  the  Mexicans  for  silence. 

"  My  brother  would  want  justice,  not  murder ! 
We  will  wait  for  the  law  to  give  justice !  " 

Some  of  the  Mexicans  screamed  threats  and  ac- 
cusations. But  cooler  heads  had  followed  from 
the  works,  the  better  class  of  the  natives  and  the 
Americans,  and  they  drew  their  more  fiery  mates 
from  the  gates  and  shouted  offers  of  help  to  the 
sheriff. 

The  girl  faced  them  with  mute  lips  and  unsee- 
ing eyes,  until  the  shouts  dwindled  into  mur- 
murs, many  of  them  blessings  on  their  Senorita. 

Then  she  smiled  on  them  faintly  without  see- 
is  273 


Miss  Moccasins 

ing  one  face  clearly  in  all  the  motley  mob.  But 
not  until  the  last  threatening  face  had  retreated 
did  she  turn  to  the  three  men  who  watched  her 
as  they  might  watch  a  magician  change  the  skies 
fjom  clouds  to  sunshine. 

The  entire  household  had  followed  her  and 
were  clustered,  awestruck  and  incredulous,  about 
the  prisoner.  Delfina  had  just  arrived  and  was 
appealing  to  the  sheriff  in  shrill  tones  of  inquiry, 
protest,  and  threatened  hysterics.  Some  of  her 
appeals  were  made  to  Anchor,  who  heeded  her  not 
at  all  and  who  turned  to  Galbraith. 

"What  is  there  you  want  done?"  she  asked, 
slowly,  deliberately,  as  if  weighing  each  word. 

"Anchor!"  screamed  Delfina.  "Don't  you 
understand?  They  say  he  shot  Felipe — Felipe!  " 

"  Stop  that,  Delfina !  "  returned  the  girl,  with 
scant  ceremony.  "  I've  just  got  rid  of  one  mob 
by  asking  them  to  wait  for  justice.  Are  you  go- 
ing to  be  more  senseless  than  they?  " 

"  Senseless !  Oh,  Mr.  Mahan,  she  is  simply 
mad!  Speak  to  her,  won't  you?  Tell  her " 

Anchor  shook  her  head  and  held  up  her  hand 
impatiently. 

'  Tell  me,  Mr.  Mahan,  what  is  to  be  done, 
what  he  needs  to  have  done !  " 

Galbraith  leaned  forward  in  his  saddle,  the 
color  flushing  his  face  strangely. 

274 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Good  God,"  he  murmured,  incredulously,  "  is 
it  me  you  are  thinking  of?  me?  " 

She  avoided  his  eyes,  but  nodded  her  head. 

"  You  are  his  best  friend,"  she  said,  simply. 
"If  he  had  been  here,  he  would  have  sent  the 
people  away,  and  as  he  was  not " 

"  Oh!  "  And  a  strange,  patient  smile  of  com- 
prehension shone  in  Galbraith's  blue  eyes.  '  That 
is  true,  Seiiorita.  His  best  friend!  Well,  I'll 
show  you  both  I  don't  forget  that.  He  must 
know  of  this  and  know  it  right.  Will  you  take 
the  word?" 

Anchor  turned  to  Roderiguez  in  the  crowd. 

"  Give  me  a  saddled  horse,"  she  said.  And 
then,  to  Delfina's  horror,  she  turned  again  to 
Galbraith. 

'  Tell  me  the  word  you  want  sent  and  where  to 
find  him,"  she  said,  briefly. 

And  he  realized  that  the  Senorita  of  the  Mis- 
sion garden  was  gone,  and  that  the  semi-invalid 
of  the  Hacienda  de  Hermosa  was  only  a  memory, 
and  that  the  girl  calling  for  the  horse  and  turning 
with  brusque  impatience  from  Delfina's  appeals 
was  the  Miss  Moccasins  who  had  swept  ahead 
of  the  flood  with  authority  as  resistless  as  the 
command  of  the  waters. 


275 


XVIII 

ANCHOR  AND  MAC  LEIGHTON. 

The  surveying  party  had  halted  under  a  wide- 
spreading  oak  where  a  rare  spring  crept  to  the 
surface  and  spread  a  silvery  green  pool  in  the 
shadows.  To  the  south  were  great  sloping 
stretches  of  grazing  land,  and  across  there  Leigh- 
ton  was  exploring  alone  for  the  half  erased  land- 
marks of  an  earlier  generation. 

"  He  does  more  work  than  any  two  of  us," 
commented  one  of  the  men,  exploring  the  lunch 
basket  in  hopes  of  an  overlooked  biscuit. 

"  Um !  "  agreed  another,  rolling  a  cigarette. 
"  He  never  does  let  up,  doesn't  stop  long  enough 
to  get  a  comfortable  drink.  Gee!  Who  is  that? 

"  Now,  I  wouldn't  have  time  for  a  drink,  my- 
self, if  a  girl  like  that  was  riding  to  head  me  off !  " 

Leighton  had  reached  a  little  belt  of  stunted 
pine  on  the  edge  of  a  ridge,  when  the  hoof  beats 
struck  his  ear,  and  a  moment  later  he  had  met 
Anchor  in  the  green  shadows,  swaying  in  the  sad- 
dle and  almost  falling  into  his  outstretched  arms. 

She  had  not  realized  her  own  lack  of  strength 
until  the  miles  slipped  one  by  one  behind  her 
around  the  seemingly  endless  fencing.  Then  all 
at  once  she  saw  him,  the  one  bulwark  of  strength 
for  all  of  them. 

276 


Miss   Moccasins 

She  reached  out  her  hands  to  him  in  mute  ap- 
peal, and  the  temptation  was  strong  enough  to 
break  down  the  man's  reserve. 

With  a  cry  that  was  half  a  moan,  he  gathered 
her  in  his  arms  like  a  child,  and  hot  kisses  were 
pressed  on  cheeks,  and  lips  and  white  throat,  while 
broken,  tender  words  of  endearment  brought  a 
happy  light  into  her  heart  as  she  opened  her  eyes 
and  looked  up  at  him. 

The  end  of  a  blind  struggle  seemed  over. 
Whatever  of  tragedy  encompassed  them,  there 
was  no  longer  the  black  barrier  of  misunderstand- 
ing to  loom  between. 

"You  did  kiss  me — before — didn't  you?"  she 
whispered.  "  I  am  sure  of  it  now !  You  kissed 
my  hand — you  woke  me — you  said  before-  them 
all  that  I  should  be — your " 

"  Oh,  my  God!  "  breathed  the  man,  with  lips 
against  her  throat. 

"Your— wife!"  she  said,  shyly.  "  Oh— oh, 
why  have  you  kept  away  from  me  ever,  since?" 

The  kisses  ceased  and  the  arms  relaxed,  but 
his  face  was  still  hidden  on  her  shoulder.  She 
lifted  her  hand  and  rested  it  caressingly  on  the 
dark  waves  of  his  hair. 

"Was  it  on  account — of  Jose?"  she  whis- 
pered. "  She  told  me  to-day.  I — I — thought  I 
would  hate  you — but  I  don't!  I  would  help  you 
take  care  of  him,  he  shall  be  my  child,  too  I  " 

277 


Miss  Moccasins 

He  lifted  his  head  and  stared  at  her  and  she 
saw  there  were  tears  in  his  eyes. 

"Darling,  darling!"  he  muttered,  between 
shut  teeth.  Then  he  arose  abruptly  from  where 
he  had  knelt  with  her  in  his  arms.  He  almost 
lifted  her  to  her  feet  from  where  she  stood  lean- 
ing against  the  panting  horse.  Then,  with  a  sort 
of  rough  decision,  he  stepped  back  and  looked  at 
her  strangely,  steadily,  sombrely. 

"  It  has  not  been  a  child  that  kept  me  away 
from  you,  little  girl,"  he  said,  at  last.  "  It — has 
been " 

He  paused  so  long  that  with  a  conscience-strick: 
en  cry  she  interrupted. 

"  Oh,  Don  Mac !  Never  mind  what  it  has 
been !  "  she  half  sobbed.  "  That  is  over,  over 
forever !  I  came  to  tell  you  the  most  awful  thing, 
the  most  terrible  you  can  think  of!  And — God 
forgive  me ! — I  forgot  it  all  when  you  kissed  me ! 
Oh,  Phil,  Phil!" 

She  was  clinging  to  his  arm  again,  blinded  by 
her  own  remorseful  tears.  But  he  laid  his  hands 
on  both  her  shoulders  and  turned  her  towards  him. 

'  Tell  me  the  worst  you  have  to  say,  and  tell 
it  quick!"  he  said,  sharply.  "Suspense  is  the 
worst  of  hells!  " 

11  It  is  Galbraith,  your  friend  Braith !  "  she 
faltered.  "  He  is  arrested  for  the  murder.  It  is 
Luigo  and  the  Mexicans!  They  tried  to  take 

278 


Miss  Moccasins 

him  from  the  sheriff.  Oh,  it  was  awful! — aw- 
ful!" 

"  Galbraith !  "  He  cast  his  eyes  quickly  to- 
wards the  group  of  surveyors,  who  had  resumed 
their  work  and  were  filing  out  along  the  line: 
u  You  won't  mind  riding  back  alone  ?  "  he  asked. 
"  I  must  send  for  a  horse  and  take  a  short  cut 
to  town  to  clear  Galbraith !  " 

"  No — listen !  "  she  begged,  catching  his  hand 
again.  "  I  brought  you  the  word  to  keep  you 
from  going.  He  doesn't  want  you  to  go  near 
him.  Oh,  don't  look  like  that!  It  is  true!  Lis- 
ten to  me !  Let  me  tell  you !  " 

He  stared  doubtfully  at  her  for  a  moment  and 
then  pointed  to  a  truss  of  dried  bunch-grass. 

"  Sit  down,"  he  said,  quietly.  "  Tell  me  the 
word  he  sent." 

He  threw  himself  on  the  ground  a  little  dis- 
tance away  and  listened  intently  to  every  detail 
until  the  arrival  of  extra  deputies. 

"  I  would  not  leave  until  then.  I  would  not 
trust  Luigo  and  the  Castros ;  they  had  been  drink- 
ing and  might  come  back.  They  want  to  kill 
Galbraith  1  " 

"  He  denied  the— the " 

"Not  even  that!  He  only  said  to  tell  you 
they  had  not  an  iota  of  real  evidence,  that  it  was 
all  Luigo's  madness  and  a  scheme  of  the  lawyers 
to  draw  your  attention  just  now  from  Hermosa 

279 


Miss  Moccasins 

affairs.  And  it  may  be  true;  I  think  it  is — in 
part.  He  begged  you  not  to  '  play  into  their 
hands  '  by  going  near  him,  to  give  every  minute 
to  the  work  you  have  undertaken.  If  he  wants 
you,  he  will  send  for  you,  but  begs  you  to  keep 
away  until  he  does." 

"  Still,  you  distrust  him  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  say  so,  but  I  feel  that  he  knows 
more  than  he  confesses !  And  though  he  goes 
free,  though  he  never  really  harmed  Phil,  yet, 
Mac,  I  never  want  to  see  him  again!  " 

"  Don't  say  that,"  said  Leighton,  putting  out 
his  hand  pleadingly.  "  He — he  almost  wor- 
shiped you,  Anchor.  He  would  face  death  for 
you  any  minute,  for  you,  or  any  friend.  Are 
men  like  that  so  plentiful?" 

"  Delfina  stormed,  and  accused,  and  finally  ap- 
pealed to  him.  But  it  was  all  no  use,"  said  the 
girl,  wearily.  "  All  he  would  say  was  that  it  was 
a  big  mistake,  and  to  tell  you  there  was  no  evi- 
dence. He  did  not  seem  to  care  what  any  one 
else  thought.  He  says  it  is  Mr.  Atterly  who 
helped  Luigo,  and  that  is  true!  He  says  they 
count  on  you  to  throw  aside  all  other  affairs  to 
help  him,  and  that  you  must  not  walk  into  the 
trap,  for  there  is  no  real  evidence.  He  laid  stress 
on  the  fact  that  you  have  only  so  many  days  now 
in  which  to  settle  Delfina's  affairs  before  her 
majority,  that  you  have  enemies  and  a  tricky  lot 

280 


Miss  Moccasins 

of  men  against  you,  that  even  the  loss  of  one  day 
may  undo  all  you  have  worked  for.  He  was  so 
intense  in  his  desire  to  keep  you  out  of  it  that  it 
must  mean  something  very  important." 

"  Yes,"  assented  Leighton,  "  it  does." 

Then  he  arose  and  walked  over  to  where  her 
horse  was  nibbling  the  grass.  He  brought  it  back 
and  she  saw  that  the  interview  was  over,  the  pri- 
vacy of  it,  at  least,  for  the  surveyors  were  coming 
closer. 

He  helped  her  to  mount,  and  then  stood,  his 
hand  on  the  bridle,  looking  up  at  her. 

'  Well,"  she  said  at  last,  "  will  you  do  as  he 
asks?" 

"  I  will  do  as  he  asks  until  my  own  work  is 
done;  then  I  reserve  the  right  to  interfere 
in  his  affairs.  My  girl!  If  I  could  only  hear  you 
say  you  believed  in  him !  " 

"I  can't!"  she  said,  with  a  little  shudder. 
:  "  Phil  was  all  I  had  in  the  world — all !  No  one 
out  here  seems  to  think  of  him  as  I  did," — and 
she  looked  at  Leighton  wistfully, — "  but  the  man 
who  shot  him,  or  shielded  his  murderer,  if  he 
was  murdered,  is  not  a  man  I  ever  want  to  see 
again.  I  want  him  to  have  justice,  but  I  could 
not  show  him  mercy." 

"  Good-bye!"  said  Leighton,  and  turned  the 
head  of  her  horse  towards  the  Hacienda. 

281 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Mac !  "  she  said,  softly,  and  held  out  her  hand 
unseen  by  the  men. 

"  My  girl !  My  Senorita !  "  he  murmured, 
crushing  her  hand  to  his  lips.  "  Good-bye,  little 
girl,  good-bye  1  " 


282 


XIX 

THE  VISIT  TO  TREASURE  TROVE. 

"  It  isn't  one  bit  like  Mac  Leighton,"  protested 
Delfina,  "  when  he  knows  I  must  be  prostrated  by 
this  awful  shock.  It's  enough  to  half  kill  us 
both!  To  think  that  Galbraith  was  not  only  tol- 
erated, but  made  welcome  here.  Ugh!  I  don't 
see  how  he  ever  entered  the  room  where  Felipe's 
picture  hung." 

"  I  don't  think  he  is  guilty,"  replied  Anchor, 
wearily,  "  but  I  think  he  knows  who  did  do  it." 

;t  What  about  his  coat  with  Felipe's  note  ask- 
ing him  to  be  there  that  very  hour?  What  about 
the  broken  comb  Luigo  picked  up  in  the  adobe, 
and  which,  several  can  swear,  belonged  to  that 
woman?  " 

Anchor  breathed  a  little  shivering  sigh  of  re- 
pulsion, and  Delfina,  understanding,  shrugged  her 
shoulders  contemptuously. 

'  You  needn't  take  that  part  of  it  so  hard, 
Anchor.  You  know  I  gave  you  warning  that 
real  men  are  not  the  spotless  heroes  of  the  story 
books!" 

'  Thanks  to  their  wives,  perhaps !  " 

Delfina  laughed  outright  at  the  retort. 

"  Oh,  you  are  an  old  maid !  Do  you  suppose 
a  goody-goody  wife  would  have  suited  Felipe?" 

283 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me  my  brother  was  a 
bad  man?  "  asked  the  girl,  angrily.  "  Must  you 
add  your  bitter  fling  to  all  the  others  of  the  Her- 
mosa?" 

"Bitter!  Nonsense!  He  wasn't  a  doll  baby, 
that's  all!  But  what — what — what — keeps  Mac 
Leighton  away  when  I  need  him  most?  Every- 
body must  think  it  strange !  " 

"  Lounging  in  your  sala  is  not  the  way  to  undo 
your  speculations !  " 

"  Oh,  you've  that  bee  in  your  bonnet?  "  laughed 
Delfina.  :'  Well,  I  wish  his  devotions  to  my  in- 
terests were  expressed  differently.  Mr.  Atterly  is 
proving  the  real  friend  these  days!  What  could 
we  have  done  in  this  Galbraith  affair  without 
him?" 

"  You  might  have  encouraged  Luigo's  craziness 
in  the  beginning,"  suggested  Anchor. 

"  Craziness !  It  seems  he  is  the  only  one  of 
us.  who  had  sense;  he  always  hated  Galbraith. 
Well,  I'll  be  of  age  in  another  week,  thank 
Heaven!  Then  I'll  be  free  to  settle  a  lot  of  scores 
myself!  When  you  saw  Mac,  what  excuse  did 
he  make  for  not  coming  near  us  any  more?  " 

"  He  made  none.  It  was  not  necessary.  He 
was  busy  and  he  knew  I  knew  it." 

'  You  appear  to  understand  each  other  wonder- 
fully," observed  Delfina,  tartly.  "  It  is  a  bit 
strange,  if  you  can't  remember  your  days  at  the 

284 


Miss  Moccasins 

Mission,  for  then  you  scarcely  know  him;  you 
have  not  seen  him  six  times  since!  " 

She  looked  keenly  at  the  girl  and  this  time  An- 
chor had  no  retort. 

All  she  knew  of  him  was  the  murmured  assur- 
ances of  love  that  one  day, — the  close,  thrilling 
clasp  of  his  arms! — and  back  of  that  the  memory 
of  treasured  moccasins  on  a  shrine,  and  a  dream- 
like life  of  which  nothing  survived  but  the  echo 
of  his  voice,  the  light  of  his  smile ! 

True,  there  had  been  no  promises  of  any  sort 
between  them.  He  had  put  her  on  the  horse  and 
said  good-bye,  and  she  had  ridden  homeward  in 
a  trance  of  utter  happiness,  all  the  tragedies  for- 
gotten, sure  only  that  he  loved  her,  and  living  on 
that  memory  until  she  heard  his  voice  again ! 

Many  days  had  gone  by  and  she  had  not  heard 
it.  Court  was  in  session  and  he  was  winning  all 
points  in  what  he  had  called  the  "  Hermosa  game." 
He  was  rushing  things  through  in  a  way  to  cause 
comment  on  every  side.  Sometimes  Delfina  ad- 
mired it  when  Mr.  Atterly  brought  her  returns, 
and  sometimes  she  railed  against  it,  as  when  her 
notes  to  him  secured  only  evasive  replies.  And 
through  it  all  the  girl  believed  in  him  and  waited. 

Then  rumors  came  to  them  that  the  Old  Mission 
was  for  sale :  that  was  why  the  careful  new  survey 
was  made.  The  natives  were  disconsolate.  Es- 
perenza  Moro  was  sick  in  her  bed  because  of  it, 

285 


Miss  Moccasins 

and  Don  Mac  worked  night  and  day  and  cared 
no  longer  who  was  sick  or  who  was  dead.  Not 
even  Senor  Braith  had  he  gone  near,  and  that 
was  strangest  of  all ! 

When  the  sale  of  the  Mission  was  spoken  of, 
Anchor  rode  into  town  for  the  first  time  since  she 
stopped  the  mob  at  the  gate.  The  blood  of  the 
rioters  had  had  time  to  cool  and  she  was  greeted 
with  apologies  and  florid  blessings  as  she  rode  past 
their  homes  or  their  work. 

In  the  village  she  visited  a  retired  judge  whom 
she  heard  had  known  her  father  in  the  old,  golden 
days  of  the  coast  lands.  From  her  recovered 
trunks  she  had  taken  different  legal  papers  for  his 
inspection,  and  over  them  they  talked  for  an  hour. 

"  I  shall,  of  course,  act  for  you  in  the  mat- 
ter," said  Judge  Bisham,  finally,  "  but  your  aunts 
should  have  tied  up  your  money  for  a  few  years 
longer." 

4  You  agree  it  is  a  fine  property  and  offered  at 
a  sacrifice?  " 

"  Oh,  certainly.  It  is  the  real  key  to  the  water 
rights  of  that  section,  you  know.  In  fact,  Mac 
Leighton  could  realize  much  more  from  the  prop- 
erty if  he  had  not  tied  up  the  rights  to  the  ranch- 
men as  he  has  done.  Mr.  Atterly's  friends  would 
have  given  a  much  higher  figure  but  for  that.  A 
beautiful  place,  too,  and  Mac  Leighton  had  to 

286 


Miss  Moccasins 

sacrifice  it — must  be  in  some  special  money  trou- 
ble !  " 

"  And  my  name  need  not  appear  in  it  just  yet?  " 

"  Certainly  not,  though  I  rather  think  Mrs. 
Barrett  would  approve  of  such  an  investment. 
My  only  reason  for  advising  caution  was  that  I 
feared  you  were  acting  on  impulse.  And  it  is  a 
big  lot  of  money, — not  much  to  you,  of  course, 
but  too  much  to  sink  on  a  sudden  fancy !  " 

"  No,  it's  not  a  mere  fancy,  Judge !  "  she  said, 
and  rode  back  to  the  Hacienda  to  learn  that  she 
was  one  of  the  witnesses  depended  upon  by  Gal- 
braith's  attorney  to  establish  his  alibi. 

Delfina  protested  indignantly.  It  would  look 
as  if  Felipe's  own  relatives  were  trying  to  clear 
the  murderer.  But  Anchor,  after  the  first  in- 
stinctive shudder  at  the  idea,  agreed  that  as  she 
had  seen  Galbraith  that  evening,  had  spoken  to 
him,  there  was  no  reason  why  she  should  not  say 
so  before  a  jury.  But  she  felt  suddenly,  like  Del- 
fina, what  a  mountain  of  strength  Leighton  could 
be  to  them  both  those  days  if  only — only 

All  her  nature  protested  against  any  criticism 
of  his  silence,  even  while  all  her  heart  cried  aloud 
for  the  love  showing  through  his  tired  eyes  that 
day,  and  the  clasp  of  his  strong  arms  as  he  kissed 
her. 

And  out  of  her  very  longing,  her  absolute  in- 
ability to  endure  longer,  not  only  the  suspense,  but 

287 


Miss   Moccasins 

the  strange  sense  of  mystery  pervading  it,  she  an- 
nounced one  morning  that  she  was  able  to  visit 
"  Treasure  Trove."  There  in  the  garden  he  had 
found  the  roses  for  her;  somewhere  under  its 
vines  she  might  find  peace. 

Delfina's  protests  against  such  a  visit  were  so 
feverishly  insistent  that  Anchor  wondered,  and 
wondered  more,  when,  failing  to  persuade  her  out 
of  it,  Delfina  decided  she  would  go,  too.  They 
would  stay  over  night  in  Santa  Barbara  and  drive 
out  from  there.  It  was  not  exactly  the  way  she 
had  meant  to  celebrate  her  birthday,  still 

"  You  know  you  don't  care  the  least  bit  about 
it,"  returned  the  girl.  "  To  you  it  will  only  be 
an  old  adobe  like  dozens  of  others  on  your  own 
plantation.  I  had  forgotten  to-morrow  is  your 
most  important  birthday,  but  I  shall  be  back  to 
help  celebrate.  I  am  hungry  for  a  sight  of  the  old 
place,  but  why  should  you  go?  " 

"  Oh,  you  expect  so  much !  And  if  you  should 
find  the  place  overgrown  with  weeds,  as  is  more 
than  likely,  you'll  have  a  collapse  and  be  sick  down 
there!"  ' 

"  But  I  shan't  find  it  so !  "  insisted  the  owner 
of  '  Treasure  Trove  '.  '  You've  no  idea  how  Phil 
enjoyed  keeping  it  ever  waiting  for  me !  It  was 
just  a  little  romance  of  ours  that  I  might  step  in 
any  morning  for  breakfast.  Oh,  how  long  I  have 
waited  for  the  dream  to  come  true !  " 

288 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  But  do  be  reasonable !  "  insisted  the  worried 
Delfina.  "  Think  how  many  weeks  it  has  been, 
and  how  rank  the  growth  is  in  neglected  gardens. 
You  must  expect  to  find  it  a  wilderness !  " 

"  No,  I  don't,"  said  Anchor  severely.  "  I  am 
sure  Dolores  would  not  neglect  it.  She  was  my 
nurse,  you  know,  and  even  when  he  was  gone  she 
knew  I  would  come  back  some  day.  We  shan't 
find  it  quite  a  wilderness !  " 

Delfina  felt  sick  and  half  frightened,  yet  could 
not  pluck  up  courage  enough  to  say  that  Felipe 
never  went  near  it,  except  to  try  and  sell  it,  and 
that  the  old  woman  was,  perhaps,  dead. 

As  they  rode  out  along  the  beautiful  drive  from 
Santa  Barbara,  she  tried  in  vain  to  delay  the  ex- 
pected shock  as  she  saw  Anchor's  eyes  grow  smil- 
ing and  eager  at  half-remembered  land-marks. 
Beautiful  places  with  well  kept  lawns  alternated 
with  fragrant  groves  of  oranges,  and  Delfina  had 
a  mental  picture  of  a  roofless  adobe,  and  a  garden 
choked  with  rank  growth,  as  a  contrast. 

Then  the  driver  turned  into  a  lane  defined  by 
hedges  so  broad  and  even  they  suggested  a  verdant 
driveway. 

'  That's  the  '  Treasure  Trove '  place,  he  re- 
marked, pointing  to  a  cottage  where  only  the  roof 
could  be  seen  in  the  thick  green.  "  It's  been  for 
sale  quite  a  while  I  guess." 

289 


Miss  Moccasins 

« 

11  For  sale?"  And  Anchor's  questioning,  in- 
dignant eyes  sought  Delfina's. 

"  I  drove  two  parties  out  here  who  thought  of 
buying  it,  but  something  was  wrong  with  the  title, 
so  I  heard  anyway.  Why,  they've  been  cleaning 
house  since  my  last  trip !  " 

Anchor  had  questioning  eyes  for  Delfina  and 
questioning  words  for  the  driver;  but  in  the  midst 
of  her  amazement,  the  carriage  halted  at  a  rustic 
gate  woven  of  Manzanita  boughs,  very  pictur- 
esque and  very  recent,  as  could  be  seen  where  the 
newly  cut  ends  showed. 

From  somewhere  back  of  the  wealth  of  roses 
and  heliotrope  was  heard  an  exclamation  as  the 
driver  halted  his  team  and  sprang  down  to  open 
the  door. 

Then  a  wild  cry  was  followed  by  a  vision  of  a 
slender,  old,  black,  turbaned  creature,  who  almost 
flung  herself  on  Anchor,  and  laughed  and  cried 
in  her  delight. 

"  Ai !  My  God !  Blessed  Seiiorita !  You  com- 
ing at  last  to  old  Dolores !  Oh,  my  baby,  my 
baby!  You  grow  tall  now  like  the  heliotrope 
where  you  used  to  hide.  Holy  Mother!  I  go 
crazy  with  the  joy  that  I  seeing  you  some  more !  " 

Delfina  sank  back  in  the  carriage,  almost  over- 
come by  the  shock  of  what  she  had  not  dared  to 
hope  for.  Then  she  began  to  laugh  almost  as 

290 


Miss  Moccasins 

hysterically  as  Dolores,  and  stepped  from  the  car- 
riage. 

"  No,  it  is  not  a  wilderness,"  she  agreed.  "  It 
is  a  pretty  little  doves'  place  of  a  nest  and  looks 
as  if  we  really  might  have  walked  in  for  breakfast 
and  not  gone  away  hungry." 

"  Sure!  "  cried  Dolores,  promptly.  "  Each  day 
I  looking  for  you,  each  night  your  bed  is  ready 
just  like  he  telling  me, — you  see !  " 

"Oh,  the  dear  room  and  the  dear  garden!" 
breathed  Anchor.  "  And  my  own  dear,  dear  roses 
everywhere !  Ah,  it  is  surely  finer  than  it  used  to 
be.  We  could  not  afford  rugs  like  this,  nor  cut 
glass  rose  bowls,  nor  those  beautiful  Mexican  jars! 
Delfina,  how  had  you  the  heart  to  tell  me  it  was 
neglected?  Phil!  my  Phil!  here  at  last  I  really 
find  you,  my  own  Felipe !  " 

The  lips  of  the  old  woman  tightened  ominously, 
and  her  glad  tears  were  dried  at  the  sound  of  his 
name. 

"  The  good  God,  he  knowing  best,"  she  re- 
marked. "  So  he  sending  for  him  before  you  com- 
ing back." 

"  And  that  man  said  it  was  for  sale !  "  said  An- 
chor. "  For  sale?  How  could  he  have  got  that 
idea?" 

Dolores  made  no  reply.  Delfina  tried  to  broach 
some  other  subject,  and  failed  awkwardly,  so  much 
so  that  Anchor  was  aware  of  a  silence  either  would 

291 


Miss  Moccasins 

have  been  willing  to  break.  She  stared  from  one 
to  the  other,  her  eyes  growing  darker  with  a  ques- 
tion— and  a  fear. 

"  Delfina,"  she  cried  sharply,  "  what  is  it,  why 
don't  you  speak?  " 

"  I — I  never  knew  anything  about  the  place !  " 
protested  Delfina.  "  I  told  you  so — I  told  you 


"  You  do  know  something !  "  asserted  Anchor. 
"  That  is  why  you  begged  me  not  to  come!  Tell 
me  the  truth — is  it — is  it  sold  ?  " 

"  Praise  God,  no,  Seriorita,"  said  the  old  woman, 
fervently.  "  Listen,  I  will  tell  you.  I  never  make 
that  promise  that  I  no  telling  you  when  you  come. 
And  now  I  seeing  you  again,  he  can  kill  me  si  he 
like,  but  I  telling  you !  " 

"Felipe?     Kill  you?" 

"  Holy  Mary,  no !  "  cried  Dolores,  crossing  her- 
self. "  He  try  to  kill  me  when  he  turning  me  out 
to  sell  the  rancheria?  I  go  die  that  time,  but  I 
having  some  good  friends.  That  is  over,  gone ! 
Then  he  come,  the  fine  Senor  American !  The  roof 
— see — he  have  mend !  The  garden  he  have  made 
new  again  I  Weeds  and  spiders, — that  is  all  when 
he  come !  Ten,  many  years,  all  growing  up.  I 
try  all  the  time  keep  that  rose  bush  out,  keep  the 
road  to  the  door  out  that  grass.  Then  Felipe,  he 
want  money  and  he  think  he  sell  the  rancheria. 
Ai — that  was  a  day !  I  think  the  world  is  all  come 

292 


Miss  Moccasins 

to  an  end  and  I  move  down  by  the  river.  I  never 
hearing  one  word^more  until  the  Senor  American 
he  come  in  a  carriage  and  fetch  me  back,  and, 
Holy  Mother !  he  having  a  big  hunt  to  find  me ! 
Now  you  coming  like  he  say  you  come  some  day. 
I  am  so  happy  I  no  can  find  words !  And  I  have 
new  dresses — so !  "  she  added,  holding  up  all  the 
fingers  of  one  hand.  ;'  I  showing  them  to  you!  " 

Anchor  put  out  her  hand  to  stop  further  speech 
of  the  delighted  old  woman. 

"  Never  mind  about  the  dresses.  You  shall  al- 
ways have  dresses  in  plenty  now.  Why  did  the 
American  gentleman  do  all  this  for  the  home  if 
he  did  not  buy  it?  " 

"  He  say  just  one  thing  all  the  time, — that  he 
doing  it  for  Don  Felipe.  Don  Felipe  he  meaning 
to  do  it  and  he  go  die  too  quick.  That  is  what 
he  say  all  the  time.  I  put  my  hand  in  the  fire  for 
Senor  American,  but  I  think  he  tell  the  lie  about 
that!  "  decided  Dolores. 

"Oh,  it  is  a  mistake!"  cried  Anchor  desper- 
ately. "  All  a  mistake !  Phil  never  could  have 
meant  to  sell  it,  never,  never!  " 

Dolores  quietly  left  the  room,  and  Anchor 
turned  to  Delfina. 

"  Tell  me  who  Phil's  agent  is.  He  may  have 
had  one  who  neglected  the  place  and  then  secured 
another  one  who  put  it  in  good  order  again.  Is 
that  it?" 

293 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Perhaps  it  is,"  agreed  Delfina.  "  But  if  the 
place  is  all  right  now,  what  need  you  care  ?  " 

"  I  do  care !  I  came  here  to  find  my  brother, 
to  find  our  home — his  and  mine!  It  is  perfect, 
all  I  had  dreamed  it,  and  now " 

Dolores  entered,  carrying  an  ordinary  piece  of 
board,  looking  sulkily  from  one  to  the  other, 
and  nodding  her  turbaned  head  in  decision. 

"  The  Serior  American,  he  taking  this  down  from 
the  gate  with  his  own  hand,"  she  said  sturdily. 
"  He  telling  me  to  make  the  fire  with  it  to  bake 
my  bread,  and  I  taking  it.  But  I  making  no  prom- 
ise !  I  putting  it  under  my  bed  till  you  come  back." 

She  held  out  the  board  that  they  could  see  the 
"  For  Sale  "  printed  in  large  black  letters  across  it. 
The  amount  of  acres  was  added,  the  address  of 
an  agent  in  Santa  Barbara,  also  address  of  owner, 
Felipe  Darrett,  Hermosa. 

Anchor  looked  at  it  steadily  while  her  eyes 
filled  with  tears  which  fell  on  her  clasped  hands. 
Dolores  let  fall  the  tell-tale  board,  and  knelt  be- 
side her,  burying  her  face  in  her  lap,  and  murmur- 
ing prayers,  beseeching,  and  blessings. 

Delfina  arose  and  walked  to  the  door.  She 
could  have  strangled  the  woman  with  a  good  will. 
Why  not  have  left  well  enough  alone? 

"  I  doing  all  what  the  American  telling  me," 
protested  Dolores,  "  and  I  making  myself  a  carpet 
for  your  feet  si  you  no  crying  any  more  I  " 

294 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  You  are  not  to  blame,  Dolores,"  said  the  girl 
at  last,  rising  to  her  feet.  "  But  tell  me  all.  Who 
was  the  American  Senor?  " 

"  I  not  knowing.  He  calling  himself  the  agent. 
He  telling  me  each  day  how  I  putting  the  roses  for 
you  in  the  finest  olla, — these  roses !  " 

She  touched  drooping  buds  of  Marechal  Niels 
as  she  spoke,  and  Anchor  arose  and  pushed  past 
her  to  the  door. 

"  Delfina,  what  does  it  mean?  "  she  demanded. 
"  Did  you  have  it  done?  " 

"  No,  I  did  not,"  returned  Delfina  emphatically. 
"  It  looks  mighty  like  Mac  Leighton's  work !  Who 
else  knew  your  favorite  rosebush  here?  Who  else 
would  have  the — the  impertinence  to  claim  it  was 
done  by  Felipe's  order?  Felipe  had  no  money  to 
do  all  this,  and  it  has  been  done  since  his  death! 
I  should  think  Mac  Leighton  had  enough  to  do 
attending  to  Felipe's  business  in  Hermosa  with- 
out coming  down  here." 

"Felipe's  business — in  Hermosa?"  And  An- 
chor sank  on  a  garden  seat  and  stared  at  her. 
"  Delfina,  is  it  Phil's  affairs  he  is  working  night 
and  day  to  settle  up?  I  thought — I  thought  it 
was  only  yours,  your  own  estate,  that  he  Was  set- 
tling it  before  your  majority,  as  your  guardian." 

"  Oh,  what's  the  use  going  back  to  that?  "  de- 
manded Delfina  irritably.  "  I  turned  some  prop- 
erty over  to  Felipe,  and  he — we  speculated  some, 

295 


Miss  Moccasins 

and  I  guess  we  usually  lost.  That's  all.  Mac 
Leighton  claims  the  transfers  were  not  legal  and  he 
is  regulating  affairs  in  his  own  fashion.  He  seems 
to  have  a  mania  for  regulating  other  people's  af- 
fairs," she  added  bitterly,  as  she  glanced  about 
the  garden. 

"  Delfina,  did  Galbraith  know  he  was  doing 
Phil's  work,  the  work  Phil  should  have  done?  " 

"  Oh,  don't  drag  Galbraith's  name  into  it !  Of 
course  he  knew,  if  any  one  did." 

"And  I  dared  to  judge  him!"  said  the  girl 
thoughtfully.  "  And  he — when  under  arrest  for 
murder — thought  only  of  one  thing; — to  send  word 
to  Mr.  Leighton  that  he  was  not  on  his  ac- 
count to  take  one  minute  from  the  work  he  had 
to  finish  up!  And  that  work  was  the  work  Phil 
left  undone!  Delfina,  what  does  it  mean?  Mr. 
Leighton  did  not  arrange  this  work  here  because 
of  you,  because  of  his  position  as  your  guardian, 
and  he  did  not  do  it  for  me,  because,  when  this 
work  was  begun,  he  did  not  know  who  I  was.  Then 
tell  me,  is  it  for  you,  or  for  Phil,  he  is  working  at 
Hermosa  ?  " 

"For — Phil?"  repeated  Delfina  wonderingly. 
"  Certainly  this  was  done  for  Phil.  At  least,  he 
tried  to  have  Phil  get  the  credit  for  it.  And  it 
cost  money,  considerable  money !  " 

!<  Then  Mr.  Leighton  paid  for  it  out  of  his 
own  pocket.  Why?  " 

296 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Oh,  how  can  I  tell?  He  has  been  queer  ever 
since  he  came  back  from  Mexico.  He  probably 
did  it  only  for  a  whim,  for  you." 

"  Yes,"  remarked  Anchor,  sceptically.  "  We 
also  thought  his  work  at  Hermosa  was  all  for  you ! 
We  were  both  mistaken.  I  don't  think  we  women 
count  for  much  in  your  guardian's  plans.  Can't 
you  see  it's  Phil's  work  he  is  doing,  the  work  Phil 
should  have  done  for  your  property  as  well  as 
mine?" 

"Anchor!"  cried  Delfina  in  angry  amaze. 
"  You  are  not  turning  against  Felipe  for  Mac 
Leighton?  " 

"  I  never  knew  your  Felipe,"  returned  the  girl 
drearily.  "  He  thought  I  was  tied  there  in  the 
East,  that  I  would  never  get  back.  And  he  thought 
— he  must  have  thought  I  should  be  poor — help- 
less, and  he  took  advantage  of  that !  Your  Felipe 
did  not  know  that  my  old  aunts  were  really  very 
wealthy.  I  scarcely  knew  it  while  they  lived !  He 
thought  this  might  be  the  only  home  left  to  me ; — 
and  he  tried  to  take  it  from  me !  No,  the  Felipe 
I  remember  never,  never  could  have  done  that. 
You  are  welcome  to  him,  Delfina,  welcome  to  every 
memory  of  him.  Perhaps  he  was  always  a  liar 
and  I  did  not  know  it;  I  was  only  a  little  child 
and  I  loved  him.  But  I  am  not  a  child  now,  and 
I  couldn't  love  a  liar!  " 

"  No,  you  are  not  a  child,  and  you  don't  seem 

297 


Miss  Moccasins 

to  be  more  than  half  human !  "  retorted  Delfina. 
"  You  are  like  Mac  Leighton,  like  the  American 
blood  in  him.  People  call  him  '  square,'  and  it 
just  means  that  he  is  hard  as  nails.  And  so  are 
you !  When  people  loved  Felipe  they  did  not  wait 
to  ask  if  he  was  good  or  bad,  they  just  loved  him. 
He  did  not  seem  to  me  to  have  a  drop  of  American 
blood  in  him,  and  I  was  glad  of  it.  He  suited 
me!" 

"  Yes,  I  see  he  did,"  observed  Anchor.  "  And 
there's  really  no  use  in  you  and  me  quarreling 
about  hir/i  now:  he  is  dead  and  buried,  and  I  must 
find  out  how  much  I  owe  the  man  who  has  done 
this  work." 

But  the  agent  a,t  Santa  Barbara  could  not  en- 
lighten them  entirely.  He  had  only  paid  the  gar- 
deners and  the  masons.  Mr.  Leighton  had  per- 
sonally attended  to  the  furnishings.  Then  there 
was  the  six  thousand  of  the  mortgage. 

"  What  mortgage?  " 

The  ladies  were  informed  that  the  mortgage 
was  four  years  old.  Mr.  Darrett  had  also  secured 
five  hundred  on  it  later  for  an  option;  but  the 
sale  was  not  effected,  because  the  joint-heir  had 
not  arranged  the  conveyance  enabling  Mr.  Dar- 
rett to  act  for  her. 

On  being  questioned  further,  he  showed  them 
those  old  records  against  the  property  wiped  out, 
and  a  surplus  left  in  his  charge  for  a  mainte- 

298 


Miss  Moccasins 

nance  of  the  house  and  grounds  for  that  season. 
The  decaying  vines  and  trees  had  been  replaced, 
and  in  a  year  the  fruit  alone  would  pay  for  all  im- 
provements made.  In  fact,  it  would  furnish  a 
very  substantial  income  for  Miss  Darrett. 

"  He  also  thought  I  was  poor,"  said  the  girl 
as  they  took  the  train  back  to  Olivette.  "  He 
thought  I  was  poor  and  had  only  this  one  little 
corner  to  depend  on  for  a  living  out  here.  How, 
how  is  one  to  measure  gratitude  for  all  this?  " 

'  You'll  find  a  way  between  you,"  said  -Delfina 
with  a  curt  laugh.  "  It's  a  nice  foundation  for  a 
flirtation !  " 

"  A  flirtation !  "  repeated  Anchor  turning  on 
her  tear-wet,  indignant  eyes.  "  Can't  you  see  it 
wasn't  for  me,  Anchor  Darrett,  he  did  it,  but  for 
Phil's  sister?  Flirtation!  If  I  never  knew  an- 
other good  thing  he  did,  I  would  love  him  for  just 
that,  and  I'll  tell  him  so !  " 

Delfina  laughed  again,  but  said  nothing.  And 
the  rest  of  the  way  home  she  was  very  silent,  and 
there  was  a  hard  light  in  her  narrowed  eyes. 

Leighton's  devotion  to  her  own  affairs  she  had 
accepted  as  a  tribute,  but  the  revelations  at  "  Treas- 
ure Trove  "  brought  in  so  many  perplexing  possi- 
bilities that  she  was  quietly  furious.  And  most 
of  her  anger  was  directed  against  the  girl  who 
had  brought  only  mystery  and  trouble  to  the  Her- 
mosa  Valley.  Delfina  had  just  enough  of  her 

299 


Miss  Moccasins 

people's  superstition  to  believe  that  a  curse  to  Her- 
mosa  rode  behind  Anchor  on  El  Diablo  that  first 
evening. 

"  I  hate  it  worse  than  ever  now;  I  hate  the 
whole  place!"  she  said  viciously,  as  Roderiguez 
drove  them  from  the  station,  and  the  boundaries 
of  her  own  estate  were  reached.  "  Mac  Leighton 
thinks  he  can  twist  every  one  around  his  finger, 
but  he  can't  compel  me  to  keep  Hermosa  after  to- 
day. If  Mr.  Atterly  still  wants  it,  he  can  have 
it!" 

"You  surely  can't  mean  that!"  said  Anchor, 
quietly.  "  I  heard  you  acknowledge  that  the  fig- 
ures he  offered  were  less — much  less  than  it  is 
worth." 

"  Oh,  it  was  Mac  Leighton  and  Galbraith  told 
me  that!  Yes,  and  an  old  fogy  lawyer!  Leigh- 
ton  is  thinking  of  what  the  rancho  will  earn,  but 
I'm  thinking  of  cash  on  the  spot.  Leighton  is 
only  fit  for  a  sheep-herder  anyway;  rancho  life 
suits  him!  He  doesn't  want  Atterly's  proposed 
improvements,  that's  what's  the  matter!  He  has 
tied  up  the  water  rights  to  the  ranchmen  and  of- 
fered the  Mission  for  sale  with  restrictions  making 
it  useless  to  Atterly.  But  that  sanitarium  can  be 
a  fact  in  spite  of  his  restrictions !  "  She  was  lash- 
ing herself  into  a  temper  as  she  spoke,  and  her 
one  bitter  desire  was  to  undo  Leighton's  work. 
"Not  really  mean  it?  Well,  I'll  show  you!  I 

200 


Miss  Moccasins 

swear  on  the  cross  to  accept  Atterly's  price,  cash 
from  Atterly  or  any  one  else  any  minute,  and  they 
can  build  up  a  '  boom  '  town,  or  cover  it  with  tan- 
neries for  all  I  care !  " 

"What  do  you  call  a  cash  payment?"  asked 
Anchor.  "  Now,  either  Roderiguez  or  I  might 
want  to  buy  it,  yet  would  not  have  all  those  thou- 
sands in  our  pockets  this  moment." 

Roderiguez  grinned  without  turning  his  head, 
and  Delfina  bit  her  lips  feeling  that  she  was 
laughed  at. 

"  Cash  payment  means  something  to  bind  the 
bargain  and  the  balance  in  a  day,  two  days,  or 
even  a  week.  You  think  it  is  only  a  whim,  but  I 
do  hate  it,  and  Mac  Leighton  has  made  me  hate 
it  worse.  You  think  I  wouldn't  sell  it  on  the  spot? 
Well,  you  just  offer  me  the  price.  I'm  of  age 
to-day!" 

Anchor  drew  a  ring  slowly  from  her  finger. 

'  When  my  trunks  came,  you  agreed  this  was 
worth  a  thousand,"  she  said  quietly.  "  It  is  an 
heirloom  and,  of  course,  I  don't  want  to  sell  it. 
But  will  you  accept  it  to  bind  the  bargain  until 
we  can  drive  to  Judge  Bisham's  and  get  you  a 
draft  to  redeem  it?  " 

Delfina  took  the  ring,  an  exquisite  diamond  in 
an  old  fashioned  setting  of  jet  and  pearls,  but  she 
stared  incredulously  at  Anchor. 

1  You  mean  ?     You  can't  mean  that  you — " 

301 


Miss  Moccasins 

she  began;  then  halted  as  the  absurdity  of  the 
question  dawned  upon  her.  The  extremely  simple 
life  of  the  maiden  aunts,  as  Anchor  had  described 
it,  gave  her  no  idea  of  wealth.  Felipe  had  even 
spoken  to  her  of  the  probable  expense  the  sister 
might  be  to  him,  Felipe,  who  could  not  have  pur- 
chased with  his  own  money  the  old  adobe  he  had 
died  in! 

"  I  mean  I  take  you  at  your  word,  and  find  you 
a  cash  purchaser  at  Mr.  Atterly's  figures,"  said 
Anchor,  simply.  "  Roderiguez  is  witness  to  the 
bargain,  the  first  bargain  of  your  actual  major- 
ity!" 

Delfina  stared  at  her,  suspicious  and  incredulous. 

"  Is  this  some  of  Mac  Leighton's  doings?  "  she 
demanded.  '  You  don't  know  anyone  in  the 
county  to  raise  that  much  money  from !  " 

"  Don  Mac  would  suppose  the  same  thing,  so 
he  has  nothing  to  do  with  it,"  returned  Anchor. 
;'  We  pass  Judge  Bisham's  house.  If  I  can't  re- 
deem the  ring  there,  of  course  the  bargain  amounts 
to  nothing.  But  if  you  get  a  draft  for  your 
money,  Hermosa  is  off  your  hands, — and  your 
mind!" 

'  You  speak  of  the  price  of  Hermosa  as  if  it 
were  a  string  of  beads  or  a  pair  of  Indian  mocca- 
sins," laughed  Delfina,  derisively.  "  Did  your 
aunts  leave  you  chests  of  this  sort  of  sparklers  ?  " 

!<  They  never  thought  or  talked  much   about 

302 


Miss  Moccasins 

money,"  returned  Anchor,  "  and  I  left  before  the 
estates  were  entirely  settled,  so  I  don't  quite  know 
what  they  amounted  to.  I  don't  think  they  had 
many  chests  of  diamonds,  but  they  had  railroads 
and  iron  foundries,  and  what  they  had  they  left  to 
me." 

Delfina  sat  back  in  the  carriage  and  stared  at 
her.  A  girl  who  could  be  content  with  two  small 
trunks  of  linens  and  woolens  when  she  had  money 
enough  to  drape  herself  in  real  laces  was  beyond 
her  comprehension.  And  the  fact  that  the  girl 
had  never  even  mentioned  the  inheritance,  made 
Delfina  feel  suddenly  small  and  flaunting  in  the 
gowns  her  friends  usually  heard  the  prices  of. 

"But  it's  nonsense!  You  to  buy  Hermosa?" 
she  protested.  ;'  What  could  you  do  with  it?  " 

"  My  guarantee  is  not  nonsense,"  Anchor  said, 
pointing  to  the  ring.  "As  to  Hermosa — well,  it's 
a  good  investment.  I  may  hold  it  for  a  rise,  as  you 
have  done !  " 

Roderiguez  chuckled  as  he  listened.  He  brought 
the  horses  up  with  a  flourish  just  then  at  the  gate 
of  the  Bishams,  and  Delfina,  after  a  moment  of 
hesitation,  descended  from  the  carriage. 

She  felt  tricked  and  indignant,  yet  could  scarcely 
tell  how  it  came  about.  She  had  simply  been 
taken  at  her  word,  of  course,  but  she  followed 
Anchor  up  the  steps,  debating  how  she  could  re- 
treat from  her  offer — for  retreat  in  some  way  she 
meant  to  do  if  a  way  could  be  found. 

303 


XX 

ANCHOR  CHECKMATES  ATTERLY. 

But  an  hour  later  Roderiguez,  with  a  delighted 
grin  on  his  face,  drove  through  the  park  to  the 
terrace  of  Hermosa  and  watched  over  his  shoulder 
a  very  sulky  senora  alight  from  the  carriage.  She 
carried  a  legal  looking  envelope  from  Judge 
Bisham's  office  and  the  diamond  with  the  pearl 
and  jet  setting  sparkled  once  more  on  the  hand  of 
the  Senorita.  Anchor  halted  a  moment  as  the 
dogs  came  tumbling  out  with  their  welcome  to 
her,  and  as  she  entered  the  outer  court,  she  heard 
the  indignant  tones  of  Delfina,  who  had  preceded 
her. 

"  Senor  Leighton  here,  but  could  not  wait  for 
me?  You  see,"  she  said,  turning  sharply  to  the 
girl,  "  our  delay  at  that  office  has  perhaps  caused 
all  sort  of  annoyances.  Mac  Leighton  has  been 
here  to  see  me  at  last!  Well,  what  word  did  he 
leave?  Anchor,  this  is  Mr.  Medland,  Senor 
Leighton's  attorney.  Oh,  and  here  is  Mr.  Atterly ! 
Does  this  gathering  of  legal  lights  mean  any  spe- 
cial trouble?  " 

"  I  think  not,"  said  Mr.  Medland,  a  clean- 
shaven, elderly  man,  whom  Anchor  liked  for  his 
stately,  old-style  manner.  "  I  think  not,  Mrs.  Dar- 

304 


Miss  Moccasins 

rett,  I  only  represent  Mr.  Leighton,  and  place  the 
accounts  of  the  estate  In  your  hands  at  the  termina- 
tion of  his  guardianship  and  management  of  it." 

Mr.  Atterly's  black  eyes  brightened. 

"  Absolutely  settled  at  last,  seiiora !  Allow  me 
to  be  the  first  to  offer  congratulations !  " 

And  Delfina,  who  had  had  a  trying  day,  appre- 
ciated the  greeting  and  held  out  her  hand. 

"  I  scarcely  feel  like  looking  over  accounts  just 
now,"  she  confessed.  "  Of  course  they  are  all 
right  or  Mac  Leighton  would  not  have  sent  them. 
Of  course,  if  there  are  any  special  things  requiring 
attention " 

There  were  a  few,  Mr.  Medland  thought,  sim- 
ply acknowledgments  of  the  receipt  of  all  docu- 
ments pertaining  to  the  estate.  Perhaps,  if  Mrs. 
Darrett  was  fatigued,  Mr.  Atterly  would  assist 
with  the  clerical  part  of  the  work? 

Mr.  Atterly  was  only  too  delighted  to  be  of 
service.  Delfina  sat  at  a  table  in  the  sala,  and 
occasionally  signed  the  required  papers  as  they 
were  passed  over  to  her,  while  Anchor  sat  at  some 
distance,  buried  in  her  own  thoughts,  observing 
Leighton's  lawyer  at  times,  and  wondering  if  he 
held  the  key  to  Leighton's  peculiar  business  meth- 
ods. She  saw  Delfina's  face  flush  as  mortgages, 
names  and  amounts  were  read  aloud,  and  was  con- 
scious that  she  regretted  so  public  a  review  of  the 

20  3°5 


Miss   Moccasins 

wild  plunges  she  and  Felipe  had  indulged  in  dur- 
ing their  one  brief  year  of  authority. 

And,  as  the  long  lists  were  checked  off,  marked 
"  paid,"  "  paid,"  "  paid,"  Anchor's  eyes  opened  in 
amazement  at  the  immense  sums  expended  by  the 
manager  of  Hermosa  during  the  brief  while  since 
Felipe's  death. 

All  that  stack  of  paper  redeemed!  Was  that, 
could  that  be  why  he  had  sold  the  Old  Mission? 
She  had  heard  enough  to  know  the  Hermosa  es- 
tate was  not  yet  making  big  money  returns.  Yet, 
as  the  last  document  was  duly  chronicled,  Mr. 
Medland  passed  them  all  over  to  her  with  a  sigh 
of  relief. 

"  Those  bits  of  paper  represent  an  immense 
amount  of  work,  Mrs.  Darrett,"  he  observed.  ;<  I 
am  happy  to  turn  them  over  to  you  showing  your 
estate  clear  of  every  penny  of  obligation.  It  is 
a  fine  property." 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  so,"  agreed  Delfina.  "  Fine 
for  a  man  who  can  manage  it;  but  for  a  woman 

5> 

"  You  know  my  offer  for  the  property  still 
stands,"  interrupted  Mr.  Atterly.  "  Mr.  Leigh- 
ton  advised  against  its  sale  before,  but  now  that 
you  are  your  own  mistress " 

Anchor  saw  Mr.  Medland's  lips  tighten  at  the 
eagerness  in  the  other  man's  eyes.  He  slipped  a 

306 


Miss  Moccasins 

rubber  band  about  the  packet  of  papers  and  laid 
them  on  the  account  book. 

"  In  case  you  contemplate  a  transfer  of  the 
property,  I  shall  be  pleased  to  act  for  you  at  any 
time,  Mrs.  Barrett,"  he  remarked;  "  and  even  if 
you  retain  it,  my  knowledge  of  the  details  of  the 
estate  is  always  at  your  service." 

Delfina  scarcely  heard.  Atterly's  renewal  of 
the  old  offer  nonplussed  her;  she  wished  he  had 
not  broached  it  before  the  others.  She  knew  she 
must  make  some  reply,  but  that  envelope  from 
Judge  Bisham's  office  lay  before  her  on  the  table, 
— it  had  the  effect  of  a  lock  and  key  on  her  tongue. 

"  I — I  scarcely  know  what  offers  of  help  I  can 
accept,  just  yet,  or  what  offers  for  the  property  I 
shall  have  to  reject,"  she  said  at  last,  as  she  fin- 
gered the  envelope  nervously.  "  I  feel  that  you 
will  think  me  a  most  unreliable  business  woman, 
Mr.  Atterly,  and  I  am,  but  the  fact  is — oh, 
Anchor,  you  got  me  into  this  muddle,  you  might 
help  get  me  out!  " 

;'  I'll  be  very  glad  to,"  said  the  girl,  coming 
forward,  "  and  I  shall  be  glad  also,  Mr.  Medland, 
if  you  will  help  me  as  you  offered  to  Help  Mrs. 
Darrett.  The  fact  is,  she  sold  Hermosa  to  me 
this  morning." 

Mr.  Atterly  grasped  the  edge  of  the  table  and 
half  arose  to  his  feet.  His  self  control  was  jarred 

307 


Miss   Moccasins 

beyond  speech,    for  he   swallowed   spasmodically 
twice  before  the  words  came. 

"  You — you  are  buying  Hermosa?  "  he  said  at 
last,  staring  incredulously  from  Anchor  to  Delfina. 
"  Why — it  was  understood " 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  the  latter  irritably.  "  My 
intention  was  to  renew  your  option,  but,  someway 
— Oh,  it  started  in  a  jest  or  a  crazy  offer  I  made, 
and  she — well,  she  wanted  to  speculate,  so  some- 
way she  got  it !  " 

"  To  speculate !  "  And  he  drew  a  breath  of  re- 
lief as  he  resumed  his  chair.  "  Oh,  well,  I  am 
willing  to  pay  enough  of  a  margin  to  encourage 
Miss  Barrett's  new  pastime." 

But  his  smile  was  very  nervous  and  it  faded  en- 
tirely as  Anchor  shook  her  head. 

"  I  have  not  come  into  possession  yet,"  she 
confessed,  "  and  I  shan't  try  to  get  rid  of  it  until  I 
prove  a  failure  as  a  rancheress.  I  have  an  idea  I 
shall  enjoy  it  for  quite  a  while  before  the  novelty 
wears  off." 

.  "  But  there  are  numberless  less  expensive  tracts 
to  be  found  for  amateur  work  of  that  sort,"  re- 
marked Atterly,  with  attempted  carelessness, 
though  his  lips  were  blue  as  he  saw  the  chance 
of  his  life  slipping  through  his  fingers  a  second 

time,  "  and  if  you  are  holding  this  for  a  rise " 

'Yes,  Anchor;    that's  what  you  said,   wasn't 
it?"   asked   Delfina,   eagerly.      "My!     Why,   I 

308 


Miss  Moccasins 

have  simply  turned  over  to  you  the  chance  to  make 
a  lot  of  money !  " 

"  Don't  lament,  Delfina,"  suggested  the  girl. 
"  Not  at  least  till  you  see  me  double  my  dollars." 

"  Double !  "  began  Atterly,  blankly.  To  put 
it  at  that  figure  was  murderous  to  his  chances  of 
profit.  At  that  moment  he  hated  the  girl  who 
treated  as  a  jest  the  thing  on  which  his  whole 
soul  was  set.  As  she  looked  at  him  she  realized 
there  was  yet  a  hope  in  his  mind  that  it  would 
be  more  straightforward  to  eliminate. 

"  The  place  will  not  be  for  sale  under  any  cir- 
cumstances, Mr.  Atterly,"  she  said,  decidedly.  "  I 
heard  there  was  a  plan  of  some  promoters  to  buy 
it  and  divide  it  into  small  ranchos  and  building 
sites  for  a  new  town.  I  bought  the  place  to  pre- 
vent it." 

Mr.  Medland  held  out  his  hand  to  her  impetu- 
ously, and  she  felt  she  had  one  staunch  friend  in 
her  venture. 

"  Why, 'Anchor,  you  didn't  tell  me " 

"  Delfina,  dear,  you  only  wanted  the  money  and 
the  freedom  from  the  care  of  it.  You  did  not 
suppose,"  she  added,  smiling,  "  that  I  was  buying 
it  for  the  sanitarium,  or  the  '  boom  '  town?  " 

"  It  looks  more  as  if  it  is  to  fit  some  of  Mac 
Leighton's  whims !  "  retorted  Delfina. 

"  Is  the  sale  actually  concluded?  "  asked  Atter- 

309 


Miss  Moccasins 

ly.  Anchor  picked  up  the  envelope  Delfina  had 
carried  from  Judge  Bisham's  office. 

"  This  contains  a  draft  for  the  first  fifty  thou- 
sand accepted  by  Mrs.  Darrett  on  the  sale,"  she 
replied.  "  It  is  not  entirely  concluded,  but  it  is  a 
very  good  beginning." 

A  faint  smile  hovered  about  the  lips  of  Mr. 
Medland,  and  his  eyes  had  an  appreciative  twinkle 
as  he  glanced  from  the  discomfited  promoter  to 
the  girl's  severe  face.  If  she  was  conscious  that 
she  had  forestalled  one  of  the  largest  land  schemes 
the  county  had  yet  seen,  she  made  no  sign. 

Atterly's  face  was  white  as  he  fumbled  the 
papers  and  avoided  the  eyes  of  the  other  man. 
He  had  been  so  sure,  so  very  sure  of  Delfina. 
Once  the  power  to  sell  was  in  her  own  hands,  he 
felt  as  safe  as  if  he  already  held  the  deed.  His 
experience  with  her  business  methods,  and  Felipe's, 
her  susceptibility  to  his  flattery  and  sympathy,  her 
pettish  estrangement  from  Leighton, — all  made 
him  feel  certain  of  her  cooperation.  And  this 
girl  had  stepped  between,  with  her  unexpected  re- 
sources and  her  little  smile,  and  his  castle  of 
dreams  crumbled  into  dust. 

'  The  option  given  me  on  the  place  was  so 
clearly  understood,"  he  persisted.  "  In  fact,  the 
money  advanced  on  mortgage,  was  accepted  by — 
by  your  husband  as  equivalent  to  an  advance  pay- 

310 


Miss  Moccasins 

ment  on  the  place,  so  that,  legally,  I  am  not  cer- 
tain but  that " 

"  Legally  that  obligation  was  wiped  out,"  said 
Mr.  Medland,  "  when  Mr.  Leighton  paid  off 
that  mortgage  at  three  o'clock  yesterday."  He 
drew  the  document  from  the  package  and  held  it 
up  for  inspection.  "  It  was  a  close  call,  Mr.  At- 
terly,  a  very  close  call!  But  the  estate  was  abso- 
lutely clear  of  every  obligation  when  Miss  Darrett 
made  the  first  payment  on  it  to-day." 

"Where  is  Senor  Leighton  all  this  time?" 
asked  Delfina,  impatiently.  "  I  certainly  had  a 
right  to  expect  him  at  the  settlement." 

"  He  was  here,"  remarked  Mr.  Medland. 
"  He  waited  some  time,  and  only  left  because  some 
unexpected  and  disconcerting  news  followed  him 
;here." 

"What  sort  of  news?"  - 

*  The  docket  was  unexpectedly  cleared  of  other 
cases  at  noon,  and  the  case  of  Galbraith  was  called 
a  week  ahead  of  the  expected  time." 

"  Ah !  " — there  was  condemned  bitterness  in 
Delfina's  look  and  tone — "  And  he  has  rushed 
there,  of  course !  " 

"  I  think  not.  He  started  at  once  to  catch  the 
train  at  Olivette,  but  he  is  one  of  the  witnesses 
subpoenaed,  and  he  sent  word  to  Galbraith  that  he 
would  be  back  to-morrow  morning  to  help." 

"To  help  Galbraith!" 

3" 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  He  did  not  say.  I  offered,  however,  to  take 
him  word,  and  if  there  is  nothing  further  in  which 
I  can  be  of  use,  I  shall  go  at  once." 

There  was  not,  and  Anchor  walked  to  the  en- 
trance with  him,  glad  enough  to  escape  from  the 
stormy  atmosphere  of  the  sala. 

"  I  congratulate  you,  Miss  Darrett,"  said  the 
old  lawyer,  shaking  hands  with  her  at  parting. 
"  You  have  done  what  Mr.  Leighton  wanted  to 
do  and  couldn't!" 

"  Can  you  tell  me,  is  he  through  with  the  rush 
of  work  he  felt  pledged  to?  "  she  asked,  hesitat- 
ingly. "  Does  he  mean  to — to  help  Galbraith  ?  " 

He  looked  at  her  keenly. 

"  Then  you  know  something  of  the  work  he 
felt  pledged  to,  and  " — with  sudden  comprehen- 
sion— "  that  is  why  you  have  checkmated  the  men 
who  were  trying  to  down  him  ?  However  it  ends, 
Heaven  bless  you  for  that,  Miss  Darrett!  Good- 
bye !  I'll  see  you  in  court  to-morrow.  Help  Gal- 
braith? Well,  yes:  I  know  he  means  to  try." 


312 


XXI 

THE  TRIAL. 

The  court  room  at  Olivette  was  packed  the 
second  day,  as  it  had  been  the  first,  but  Anchor 
looked  in  vain  for  Leighton's  face  among  the 
many  from  Hermosa.  A  terrific  storm  had  swept 
the  midlands  to  the  north  the  preceding  night. 
Telegraph  wires  were  down  in  every  direction  and 
chaos  reigned  along  the  railroad  over  which,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Medland's  information,  he  must 
come.  Twice  his  name  had  been  called  without 
bringing  response,  and  the  case  went  on.  The 
witnesses  for  the  state,  principally  Mexican  work- 
men, had  been  heard,  examined  and  cross-exam- 
ined, and  the  people  who  believed  in  Galbraith 
were  looking  at  each  other  anxiously.  The  case 
looked  dark  enough  to  please  his  worst  enemies, 
and  Luigo's  face  was  radiant. 

Only  once  had  the  prisoner  showed  any  ner- 
vousness, and  that  was  when  the  coat  found  in 
his  room  was  shown  to  the  jury,  and  the  note  and 
comb  taken  from  the  pocket. 

The  note  called  the  wearer  of  the  coat  to  the 
adobe  the  evening  Felipe  died.  The  broken  comb 


Miss  Moccasins 

proved  that  the  appointment  had  been  kept.  A 
newly  cast  horseshoe  had  been  found  by  Luigo 
where  a  horse  had  been  tied  near  the  adobe,  and 
two  hours  after  that  appointment,  Galbraith  had 
stopped  at  the  blacksmith's  to  have  a  lost  shoe  re- 
placed; he  had  just  dismounted  when  the  warning 
came  of  the  flood. 

The  comb  was  easily  identified  as  that  of  Car- 
menita  Alvarez,  who  had  been  known  to  meet 
Felipe  Darrett  at  the  old  adobe.  The  day  of 
Barrett's  death,  Galbraith  had  been  drinking — 
had  quarreled  with  Felipe  Darrett  on  meeting  him 
by  chance  in  the  road.  Serior  Leighton's  inter- 
ference had  alone  prevented  trouble  between  them; 
he  had  taken  Galbraith  back  to  the  Mission.  But 
three  witnesses  had  heard  Galbraith  threaten  to 
shoot  Darrett  on  sight  if  he  ever  went  near  the 
Alvarez  home  again. 

The  question  of  jealousy  as  a  motive  was 
brought  up.  But,  while  it  was  shown  that  Gal- 
braith had  indeed  sent  much  material  assistance 
to  the  Alvarez  adobe,  he  had  not  gone  there  per- 
sonally. Food,  wine,  and  even  clothing  had  been 
sent  by  a  messenger,  and  always  given  secretly  into 
the  hands  of  the  grandmother.  Carmenita  had 
not  known  who  was  helping  them  in  their  dark 
days. 

It  was  further  evidenced,  however,  that,  of  all 
the  women  of  the  valley,  it  was  Carmenita  he  tried 


Miss  Moccasins 

to  save  from  the  flood.  When  they  were  found 
next  morning,  she  was  dead  in  his  arms,  and  her 
child,  Jore,  had  been  taken  to  the  Mission  rancho, 
to  his  adobe,  where  it  had  remained  ever  since. 

Galbraith's  only  statement  was  that  he  had  been 
out  on  one  of  the  few  ranches  to  see  about  some 
cattle,  and  only  got  back  as  the  flood  came  along. 
He  had  met  no  one  on  the  range.  Of  the  comb 
and  the  note,  he  did  not  know  who  had  put  them 
in  his  pocket,  or  how  long  they  had  been  there. 
Yes,  he  had  quarreled  with  Barrett  for  not  pro- 
viding for  the  girl;  yes,  he  believed  he  had  threat- 
ened to  shoot  him.  But  he  was  not  dead  sure 
of  much  that  happened  that  day,  for  he  had  been 
celebrating  Mac  Leighton's  return  from  Mexico ! 

The  circumstantial  evidence  was  strong  for  the 
State. 

Anchor's  face  had  gone  white  as  the  association 
of  Felipe  and  the  Mexican  girl  was  sifted  ruth- 
lessly for  the  tragedy.  But  when  the  child  was 
spoken  of  and  named — the  child  she  had  saved — 
and  the  plain  fact  shown  that  it  was  the  child  of 
her  own  brother,  then  the  color  came  back  to  her 
face  in  a  wave  of  anger  as  she  turned  to  Delfina, 
who  regarded  that  part  of  the  evidence  with  an 
assumption  of  contemptuous  indifference. 

Delfina  had  known,  and  Delfina  had  let  Leigh- 
ton  take  charge  of  the  little  waif.  How  small, 
how  contemptible,  he  must  think  them  all!  And 

315 


Miss   Moccasins 

she — she  had  gone  to  him,  had  spoken  of  the  lie, 
the  insinuation  that  the  child  was  his,  and  he  had 
given  no  sign,  he  had  not  cast  one  shadow  on 
the  brother  she  had  loved,  or,  rather,  he  had 
gathered  the  shadows  to  himself  that  the  rest 
might  live  in  the  sunshine ! 

At  the  remembrance,  the  crowds  of  faces  faded 
away,  and  she  saw  only  the  little  ridge  of  stunted 
pines  along  the  grazing  lands,  his  face  as  he  held 
her  close,  his  voice  speaking  words  never  to  be 
forgotten. 

Galbraith,  who  saw  that  adorable  flush  creep- 
ing over  her  face,  clenched  his  hands  in  anger  that 
the  lawyers  had,  despite  his  protests,  dragged  her 
into  it.  And  she  had  heard,  no  doubt,  all  that 
awkward  story  of  Carmenita  and  Jose!  The 
others  he  did  not  mind, — they  were  easy  to  face; 
but  their  beloved  Senorita! 

The  cross  examination  of  Roderiguez  had  be- 
gun. He  it  was  who  had  carried  the  note  to  the 
Mission  rancho  that  day.  Yes,  there  was  a  name 
on  the  envelope,  but  he  did  not  read.  He  had 
met  Senor  Galbraith  near  the  corrals,  and  had 
given  him  thg  note  and  Senor  Galbraith  had  taken 
it  and  said  "All  right."  No,  he  had  not  opened 
the  envelope  while  Roderiguez  was  there ;  he  had 
only  put  it  in  his  pocket  and  ridden  away.  In 
which  direction?  Towards  the  new  dam. 

316 


Miss  Moccasins 

The  new  dam  would  be  also  in  the  direction  of 
the  old  adobe. 

Had  Senor  Barrett,  himself,  given  him  the 
note? 

No.  He  had  been  going  to  the  postoffice  with 
the  mail  bag  when  a  stable  boy  had  run  after  him 
with  the  letter  and  had  asked  him  to  take  that 
one  letter  first  to  the  Old  Mission.  He  had  done 
so,  and  had  given  it  to  the  first  person  he  saw 
there.  The  first  person  was  Senor  Braith,  and 
Senor  Braith  had  looked  at  the  writing  and  said, 
"  Hell !  "  and  then  put  it  in  his  pocket  and  said, 
''All  right!"  and  rode  away. 

On  being  shown  the  coat,  he  could  not  say  at 
all  if  it  was  the  one  the  Senor  wore.  All  the  ranch- 
men wore  such  a  blouse  with  straps  and  pockets 
these  days.  They  all  looked  much  alike.  He, 
Roderiguez,  wore  almost  a  fac-simile  of  it  at  that 
moment. 

Workmen  had  seen  Galbraith  near  the  new  dam 
a  little  later.  Senor  Leighton  was  there  and  had 
called  to  him.  Nothing  was  heard  of  the  conver- 
sation except  Senor  Braith's  swearing  about  the 
masonry.  He  had  remained  only  a  few  minutes 
and  then  had  ridden  up  the  road.  They  heard 
him  call  back  about  some  stray  cattle  he  was  going 
to  see  about.  Many  workmen  had  heard  this. 
Yes,  there  was  a  way  he  could  have  circled  some 


Miss  Moccasins 

fields  and  crossed  to  the  old  adobe  without  much 
chance  of  being  seen. 

For  the  third  time  since  the  trial,  the  name  of 
Leighton  was  called  and  the  announcement  was 
made  that  he  was  not  present.  A  telegram  had 
been  received  the  night  before  by  Mr.  Medland, 
stating  that  he  was  en  route  from  San  Francisco. 
He  should  have  reached  Olivette  ten  hours  before, 
but  all  were  aware  of  the  havoc  of  the  storm  and 
the  delayed  trains  and  broken  wires.  The  rail- 
road people  were  trying  vainly  to  open  communi- 
cation with  the  northern  branch. 

Then  Mr.  Atterly  pushed  his  way  forward  to 
the  desk  of  the  State's  attorney.  In  his  hand  was 
an  open  telegram  and  a  murmur  sounded  in  his 
wake  as  the  people  saw  it;  the  wires  were  again 
connected ! 

For  one  instant  he  halted  and  swept  his  glance 
over  the  Hermosa  witnesses,  until  it  rested  on 
Anchor,  and  instinctively  she  shrank  from  the 
veiled  malice  of  it.  Whatever  news  he  bore,  she 
felt  it  was  something  against  Leighton,  against 
her! 

There  were  a  few  hurried  words  at  the  desk, 
and  then  the  attorney  turned  to  the  judge. 

'  Your  Honor,"  he  said,  slowly,  "  unless  there 
is  some  great  mistake  here,  this  case  will  always 
lack  its  one  most  important  witness  for  the  state. 
The  night  train  was  wrecked  at  Bellefont  last 


Miss  Moccasins 

night  and  the  name  of  McNeil  Leighton  is  among 
the  missing!  " 

Galbraith's  eyes  turned  straight  to  Anchor.  He 
saw  her  clutch  at  the  seat  in  front  of  her  and  then 
sink  back.  Delfina  caught  her  sharply  by  the 
wrist,  and  whispered  frantically  that  people  were 
looking,  that  she  must  rouse  herself. 

But  it  was  not  Delfina's  voice  that  aroused  her. 
Through  the  confused,  drowsing  sense  of  semi- 
consciousness,  the  stroke  of  iron-shod  hoofs  on  a 
pavement  came  to  her  ears,  the  fierce  beat  of 
frantic  riding  and  a  shout  of  the  people  in  the 
court  yard, — \vhat  a  shout! 

Then  there  was  the  grind  and  push  of  many 
feet  near  the  door,  one  hoarse,  breathless  voice, 
and  cheers  silenced  by  the  sharp  rap  for  order  in 
the  court. 

And  then,  pushing  through  the  crowding,  eager 
mass,  she  heard  his  voice  and  opened  her  eyes  to 
see  him,  hatless,  dust-covered  and  haggard,  push- 
ing his  way  forward  with  hand  uplifted. 

1  Your  honor  and  gentlemen  of  the  jury!  "  he 
said,  speaking  with  difficulty.  "  I  have  walked 
and  run  and  ridden  seventy-five  miles  to  reach 
here  in  time.  I  beg  you  to  hear  my  testimony 
before  the  trial  goes  further,  for  I  was  the  only 
person  in  the  adobe  when  Felipe  Darrett  died!  " 

For  an  instant  there  was  a  choked  silence  in  the 
crowded  room,  then  a  long  indrawn  breath,  like  a 


Miss   Moccasins 

shudder,  and  the  people  turned  to  each  other  with 
strained  looks  and  many  a  whitened  face.  The 
Mexicans  from  Hermosa,  who  understood,  men 
and  women  alike,  dropped  to  their  knees,  and 
rosaries  clicked  in  many  a  brown  hand. 

The  judge,  Leighton's  friend  for  years,  was 
shocked  for  one  moment  into  an  involuntary  ex- 
pression of  protest,  and  then  sank  back  and  mo- 
tioned the  clerk  to  administer  the  oath. 

Some  one  offered  the  new  witness  a  glass  of 
water,  which  he  accepted  with  a  grateful  nod.  He 
was  coatless,  one  sleeve  half  torn  from  his  shirt, 
and  with  some  difficulty  he  was  using  it  to  mop  the 
perspiration  from  his  face  and  neck. 

Mr.  Medland  came  forward  with  a  borrowed 
coat,  which  he  donned  mechanically  and  grasped 
with  some  eagerness  a  preferred  handkerchief. 

To  his  strange,  disheveled  appearance,  he 
seemed  not  to  give  a  thought.  Neither  did  he 
notice  the  crowd  or  any  individual  faces  in  it. 
His  first  glance  had  found  Galbraith,  to  whom 
he  raised  his  hand  in  mute  salute,  and  then  he 
sank  back  in  the  chair  in  utter  weariness,  utter 
resignation,  akin  to  content.  The  race  was  over 
and  he  dared  rest  for  breath. 

The  prosecuting  attorney  hesitated  a  moment. 
Where  to  begin  with  a  witness  like  this  was  a 
problem.  A  glance  at  the  people  showed  the  tem- 
per of  them.  The  witness  might  be  a  deliberate 

320 


Miss  Moccasins 

murderer,  but  just  now  he  appeared  to  them  he- 
roic. The  attorney  for  the  state  did  not  mean 
to  remain  indefinitely  an  attorney.  He  had  various 
ambitions  to  be  decided  by  the  vote  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  he  kept  a  weather  eye  open  for  popu- 
larity. 

'  You  state  that  you  were  in  the  adobe  at  the 
time  of  Felipe  Barrett's  death;  were  you  alone 
with  him?  " 

"Yes,   alone." 

"  Did  you  go  there  with  him?  " 

"No,  I  was  there  by  appointment.  He  asked 
me  to  meet  him  there." 

"  For  what  purpose?  " 

"  He  said  to  talk  over  some  business  affairs." 

''What  sort  of  affairs?  and  why  was  such  an 
isolated  place  selected  for  the  conversation?" 

'  The  affairs  were  concerning  the  property  of 
his  wife.  I  was  her  guardian.  He  had  attempted 
to  dispose  of  some  of  the  property  to  men  who 
were  at  his  home.  He  did  not  mean  me  to  come 
in  contact  with  them  until  he  had  gained  my  con- 
sent to  the  transfers.  Neither  did  he  want  to  go 
to  my  house,  for  Galbraith  and  he  had  quarreled 
that  day  and  he  did  not  want  to  risk  meeting  him 
again;  and  those  are  the  reasons  he  gave  me  for 
making  the  appointment  at  the  adobe." 

"  He  asked  you  to  meet  him  there?  " 

"  He  sent  me  a  note  with  that  request." 

21  321 


Miss   Moccasins 

"Is  this  the  note?" 

Leighton  looked  at  the  creased,  water-stained 
paper  held  out  to  him.  "  'Mi  Amigo ! '  Yes,  that 
is  my  good  friend's  note !  " 

"  But  you  were  not  in  the  flood,  and  this  letter 
has  been  water-soaked !  " 

"  It  was  in  the  coat  wrapped  around  Galbraith 
when  we  found  him.  His  clothes  were  dripping." 

"  After  receiving  the  note,  what  did  you  do?  " 

"  I  rode  to  the  adobe,  where  I  found  '  Mi  Am- 
igo '  preparing  for  me." 

"  What  sort  of  preparation?  " 

"  Putting  cartridges  in  a  pair  of  guns!  " 

A  thrill  ran  over  the  court  room,  a  muttered 
"  My  God !  "  came  from  Delfina  as  she  realized 
that  after  all  it  had  been  Leighton — Leighton! 

Even  in  her  excitement,  she  turned  to  Anchor, 
grasping  her  hand  spasmodically  to  see  what  ef- 
fect the  revelation  had  on  the  girl.  But  Anchor's 
face  was  a  white  mask,  with  wide,  unseeing  eyes 
staring  straight  out.  She  no  longer  saw  Leighton 
or  any  other  distinctive  face,  and  the  hand  Delfina 
grasped  was  icy  cold. 

"  Anchor !  For  Heaven's  sake !  "  whispered  Del- 
fina, tensely.  But  Anchor  only  put  aside  her  hand 
and  did  not  turn  her  head.  All  the  blood  in  her 
body  seemed  driven  into  her  heart,  all  her  power 
concentrated  in  the  effort  to  hear,  to  comprehend  1 

322 


Miss  Moccasins 

'  You  discovered  him  putting  cartridges  in 
guns  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  discover  what  he  had  been  doing 
until  later.  His  back  was  to  me  as  I  entered  the 
open  door.  He  was  at  a  table  and  the  drawer 
was  open.  He  closed  it  quickly  and  turned  to 
speak  to  me." 

"Then  what  followed?" 

'  We  sat  down  on  opposite  sides  of  the  table 
to  talk;  he  remained  beside  the  table  drawer  and 
nearest  the  door." 

;<  What  was  the  nature  of  the  conversation?'* 

"  He  tried  to  convince  me  that  my  jurisdiction 
over  the  Hermosa  estate,  and  my  guardianship  of 
Manuel  Gonzales'  daughter  ended  when  she  mar- 
ried. Failing  in  that,  he  tried  to  buy  me  to  transfer 
all  my  power  to  him  at  once — that  day.  I  refused 
to  consider  such  a  proposition,  and  told  him  I 
must  see  the  accounts  of  the  estate  for  the  year 
during  my  absence  in  Mexico.  These  he  refused 
to  show  me.  I  then  stated  my  intention  of  taking 
up  the  management  of  the  estate  where  I  had  laid 
it  down  a  year  ago,  and,  so  far  as  possible,  to  give 
it  back  to  Manuel  Gonzales'  daughter  on  her  ma- 
jority as  clear  of  obligations  as  when  I  carelessly 
left  it  in  their  hands." 

"Well,  what  next?" 

"  He  swore  I  could  not  do  it,  and  incidentally 

323 


Miss   Moccasins 

swore  that  I  should  not  see  his  wife  again  con- 
cerning the  estate,  or  anything  else." 

"  To  what  '  else  '  did'he  refer?  " 

"  A  Mexican  girl,  who  was  the  mother  of  his 
child  and  who  would  have  starved  but  for  Gal- 
braith  and  some  of  her  Mexican  neighbors.  Gal- 
braith  quarreled  with  him  about  it  that  day  and 
threatened  to  send  Father  Rey  to  his  wife  con- 
cerning it." 

"  You  heard  this  quarrel?  " 

"  Yes.  We  met  Barrett  on  the  road.  He  was 
surprised  and  sulky  at  my  return  from  Mexico  at 
the  wrong  time.  He  realized  that  his  land  deals 
were  off  if  I  interfered;  wanted  me  to  ride  on  into 
the  village  with  him  and  make  the  transfers  he 
needed.  When  I  refused  and  said  we  must  go 
over  all  the  accounts  for  the  year  before  consider- 
ing sales,  he  blamed  Galbraith  for  influencing 
me,  and  for  carrying  reports  as  to  the  manage- 
ment of  the  estate  during  my  absence.  From 
that  the  subject  was  turned  to  the  girl,  and  Gal- 
braith threatened  to  shoot  him  if  he  ever  went 
near  her  again  after  neglecting  her  when  she  need- 
ed friends  and  money  and  was  no  longer  able  to 
work.  This  neglect  was  during  Barrett's  absence 
in  San  Francisco.  The  threat  of  shooting  was 
overheard, — the  only  thing  there  was  to  connect 
Galbraith  with  Barrett's  death." 

'  Whose  coat  was  it  that  was  found  in  Gal- 

324 


Miss  Moccasins 

braith's  room,  containing  the  note  of  appoint- 
pierit?" 

"  Mine.  I  put  it  on  him  when  we  found  him, 
and  it  had  hung  in  his  room,  unnoticed  and  for- 
gotten since  the  flood." 

"  Were  you  armed  when  you  went  to  the  meet- 
ing with  Barrett?" 

"  I  was  not." 

"  Will  you  tell  the  court  how  the  shooting  oc- 
curred? " 

"  Barrett  expressed  a  foul  suggestion  as  to  my 
interest  in  the  women  of  his  family.  I  called  him 
a  liar.  He  jumped  for  me  and  I  caught  him  by  the 
throat  and  left  arm  to  force  him  back  into  the 
chair.  He  drew  a  gun  from  his  pocket  with  his 
right  hand,  and  had  it  against  my  side  before  I 
realized  he  was  armed.  He  snapped  it  once,  but 
it  did  not  go  off.  Then  I  caught  his  right  hand 
and  the  fight  commenced  for  the  gun.  Buring 
the  struggle  it  went  off.  As  he  fell  he  caught  at 
the  table  drawer,  pulling  it  open.  There  I  saw  the 
cartridges  and  the  other  gun  he  was  loading  when 
I  arrived." 

"  Bid  you  at  any  time  during  the  struggle  se- 
cure possession  of  the  gun?  " 

"  No,  except  with  my  hand  closed  over  his." 

"  Bid  your  fingers  at  any  time  during  the  strug- 
gle touch  the  trigger?  " 

325 


Miss  Moccasins 

There  was  a  pause,  caused  by  the  judge  making 
a  gesture  for  delaying  reply. 

"  The  witness  is  not  called  upon  to  incriminate 
himself,"  he  observed. 

"  Thank  you,  judge,"  said  Leighton.  "  But  I 
am  willing  to  tell  all  I  am  certain  of,  and  I  can't 
ever  be  quite  certain  of  that !  " 

Galbraith  swore  softly  and  the  judge  looked 
troubled.  Through  all  the  room  there  were  whis- 
pered exclamations  and  smothered  protests. 

"  I  mean  that  in  such  a  struggle  it  would  not 
be  possible  for  either  man  to  say  that  his  finger 
had,  or  had  not,  touched  the  trigger.  I  was 
trying  to  get  the  gun  from  him.  It  went  off  be- 
fore I  secured  it.  When  he  fell,  the  gun  was  still 
in  his  hand. 

"How  long  did  he  live?" 

"  Only  long  enough  to  speak  one  word." 

"What  was  that?" 

"  A  woman's  name." 

"  Then  what  did  you  do?  " 

"  I  sat  down  and  looked  at  him,  and  figured 
out  my  chances  of  being  accused  of  his  murder 
by  the  men  who  almost  had  the  Gonzales  estate 
in  their  hands  for  a  merely  nominal  sum.  I  had, 
as  it  was,  only  a  very  brief  time  in  which  to  ad- 
just the  financial  affairs  of  the  property  before  my 
guardianship  of  Mrs.  Darrett  expired.  I  further 
concluded  that  even  if  Mrs.  Darrett  became  aware 

326 


Miss  Moccasins 

that  a  quarrel  with  me  had  led  to  his  death,  her 
natural  prejudice  would  make  my  settlement  of 
the  estate  a  very  difficult  matter.  I  had  made 
a  big  mistake  in  leaving  the  estate  to  the  sole 
care  of  Mrs.  Darrett  and  her  husband  that  year. 
I  meant  to  rectify  it  so  far  as  I  could,  and  the 
only  hope  I  had  of  accomplishing  it  was  to  keep 
my  name  from  being  connected  with  Barrett's 
death." 

"  How  came  the  comb  in  the  pocket  with  the 
note?" 

"  I  saw  it  on  the  floor  of  the  adobe  before  I 
left.  I  took  it  for  fear  suspicion  should  fall  on 
the  girl  who  had  met  him  there." 

'  Was  Galbraith  aware  you  went  to  the 
adobe?" 

u  No.  He  was  still  rather  wrought  up  over  his 
quarrel  with  Darrett,  and  I  did  not  tell  him  that 
day.  How  much  he  suspected  afterwards,  I  don't 
know.  But  when  the  coat  and  note  were  brought 
up  as  evidence,  then  he  sent  me  word  to  lose  not 
an  hour  on  his  account,  but  go  ahead  with  the 
work  I  had  so  nearly  accomplished.  I  realized 
then  that  he  meant  to  help  me  to  time,  and  I 
realized  also  that  he  must  know." 

Galbraith's  face  flushed  uncomfortably  as  this 
reference  to  his  devotion  caused  a  rustle  in  the 
room,  and  the  turning  of  many  eyes  in  his  direc- 
tion. To  be  tried  for  murder  was  one  thing,  but 

327 


Miss   Moccasins 

to  face  a  flutter  of  belated  admiration  was  a  more 
difficult  proposition. 

"  The  '  time  '  he  helped  you  to  was  certainly 
delayed  until  the  eleventh  hour,"  observed  the  at- 
torney. "  Can  you  tell  the  court  why  your  silence 
was  so  prolonged?" 

"  I  had  to  raise  money  on  my  property  to  make 
good  the  loans  of  the  Gonzales  estate.  I  did  this 
in  several  instances  with  only  my  word  as  a  guar- 
antee. Three  days  ago  my  place,  the  Old  Mis- 
sion, was  sold  to  secure  the  money  I  needed  to 
square  up,  for  naturally  I  did  not  know  what  the 
result  of  my  evidence  here  would  be !  Two  days 
ago,  I  settled  the  affairs  of  the  Gonzales  estate 
and  my  guardianship  of  Mrs.  Darrett  expired. 
One  day  I  took  to  settle  the  personal  obligations 
I  mentioned.  I  expected  to  reach  here  before  the 
trial  was  more  than  commenced.  The  wreck 
changed  that.  But  I'm  here  now !  " 

There  was  a  certain  challenge  in  the  final  words 
and  the  tone.  Galbraith,  glancing  lazy  blue  eyes 
around  the  room,  decided  it  would  not  be  taken 
up.  Hermosa,  and  Olivette  as  well,  looked  quite 
satisfied  that  Felipe  Darrett  was  good  and  dead! 

The  State's  attorney  glanced  from  judge  to  jury 
•and  back  to  Galbraith  undecidedly.  The  court 
came  to  the  rescue.  Was  there  any  further  evi- 
dence against  the  prisoner  at  the  bar?  The  at- 
torney for  the  State  had  nothing  sure  to  offer.  The 

328 


Miss  Moccasins 

court,  with  slight  comment,  passed  the  case  to  the 
jury,  and,  without  leaving  their  seats,  the  verdict 
of  "  Not  Guilty  "  was  rendered. 

Leighton  made  his  way  to  Galbraith  and  they 
clasped  hands  without  a  word. 

"  Case  of  the  State  against  Galbraith  dis- 
missed. Call  the  next  case !  "  said  the  judge,  me- 
chanically, and  then  leaned  forward  to  shake  hands 
with  Leighton. 

"  You  look  fit  for  a  hospital,"  he  observed. 
"  But  I  don't  know  which  of  you  to  envy  the  most 
the  possession  of  your  friend!  " 

u  Oh — I'm  not  in  it  with  Braith,"  said  Leigh- 
ton,  wearily.  "  I  was  too  late  for  the  round  up. 
And  the  tough  thing  for  him  was,  that  he  did 
not  know  how  much,  or  how  little,  I  had  to  do 
with  Barrett's  death." 

"  I  knew  you  were  doing  the  work  he  should 
have  done,"  growled  Galbraith,  "  and  as  soon  as 
I  found  out  it  wasn't  the  woman  you  were  work- 
ing for,  that  was  enough  to  know !  Can't  we  get 
out  of  this  mob?  I'd  as  soon  have  the  Mexicans 
yelling  for  my  scalp  as  this !  " 

As  the  two  emerged  from  a  side  door  there 
were  cheers  and  congratulations  from  the  crowd 
waiting  there  to  catch  sight  of  them. 

Leighton  looked  from  right  to  left  with  an  im- 
patient frown.  His  utter  exhaustion  precluded 

329 


Miss  Moccasins 

any  feeling  beyond  the  one  absorbing  desire  for 
rest. 

"  Get  me  some  place  where  I  can  sleep, 
Braith !  "  he  implored.  "  I've  run  the  race,  and 
I've  won  by  a  neck,  but  I'm  done  up,  old  man, 
I'm  done  up !  " 

As  they  reached  the  crossing,  a  carriage  moved 
slowly  past,  impeded  by  the  crowd  at  that  point, 
and  Delfina's  profile,  indignant  and  animated,  was 
turned  toward  them.  She  was  leaning  forward, 
talking  to  Mr.  Atterly,  who  faced  her  from  the 
front  seat,  and,  beyond  her,  sat  Anchor,  pale, 
apathetic,  sunk  back  in  the  shadows. 

Both  men  halted  at  sight  of  her.  As  she  saw 
Leighton  so  close  she  leaned  forward,  her  eyes 
growing  wider,  her  face  paler.  Her  hands  crept 
up  to  her  throat  and  suggested  to  him  only  abso- 
lute, breathless  terror. 

For  one  instant  his  gaze  held  hers  in  a  very 
agony  of  hopelessness;  then  he  stepped  back  and 
bowed  slightly  in  acceptance  of  what  fate  had 
brought  him.  He  heard  a  little  shriek  from  Del- 
fina,  who  had  just  caught  sight  of  him,  and  the 
carriage  shade  was  pulled  down  with  a  snap. 

Leighton  laughed  drearily  as  he  turned  away. 

"Where's  that  bed,  Braith?"  he  asked.  And 
then,  after  a  little,  "  Was  she  in  there  with  that 
crowd?  Did  she  hear  all  that  damnable  stuff 

330 


Miss  Moccasins 

about  him?  Poor  little  Seiiorita.  She  will  never 
laugh  again  under  the  Mission  palms !  " 

"  She  worshiped  him — or  pretty  nearly  that." 
said  Galbraith,  moodily.  "  We  can't  expect  her 
ever  to  laugh  with  us  again !  " 

"No,"  agreed  Leighton,  "that's  the  hell  of 
it  I  " 


331 


XXII 

DELFINA   SURRENDERS. 

One  long  day  and  night  of  hysterics  on  Delfina's 
part,  railings,  upbraidings,  and  threats  against 
Leighton. 

Mr.  Atterly  had  accompanied  them  home,  an- 
other lawyer  had  been  sent  for,  and  there  were 
long,  headaching  hours  of  sifting  the  evidence  at 
the  coroner's  inquest  and  the  later  testimony  in 
court.  Somewhere  they  must  find  for  her  a  legal 
reason  for  the  arrest  of  Leighton.  She  would 
take  it  to  the  supreme  court.  This  Hermosa 
county  was  no  place  to  try  him,  or  Galbraith, 
either:  He  had  won  sympathy  for  even  Gal- 
braith !  He  had  made  Felipe  a  trickster  and  her 
a  laughing  stock! 

The  judge  and  jury  were  fools!  Who  was  to 
tell  whose  hand  was  on  the  trigger  of  that  re- 
volver? It  was  all  planned  before  the  trial;  the 
judge  was  Leighton's  friend,  everybody  knew  that ! 
It  was  all  put  up  to  fool  the  people.  She  believed 
now  that  Leighton  and  Galbraith  had  followed 
Felipe  there  and  murdered  him.  Leighton's  com- 
ing into  court  like  that  was  only  a  part  of  a  plot 
to  blind  the  public.  The  judge  and  jury  were  in 

332 


Miss  Moccasins 

it,  too,  for  all  she  knew!  And  it  could  all  have 
been  put  up  like  that,  she  believed. 

But  at  this  juncture,  the  consulting  attorney 
drily  reminded  her  that  the  wreck  of  the  train  at 
Bellefont  could  not  very  well  have  been  "  put  up," 
even  with  the  help  of  judge  and  jury,  and  that 
public  opinion  was  such  that  it  would  be  useless 
to  try  and  convict  Leighton  of  anything.  In  fact, 
the  people  could  not  do  enough  to  make  up  to 
Galbraith  for  the  action  against  him  led  by  the 
Castro  faction:  All  of  the  name  had  already 
been  warned  out  of  the  Hermosa  Valley,  and  Lui- 
go,  for  his  own  safety,  had  been  sent  south  from 
Olivette. 

"  Believe  me,  Mrs.  Darrett,"  he  said,  finally, 
"  the  case  is  best  left  alone.  Leighton's  stupen- 
dous work  for  the  dead  man's  wife,  his  child,  and 
even  his  sister  (for  the  story  of  her  long  illness 
at  Old  Mission  had  leaked  out!),  all  this  would 
weigh  heavily  in  his  favor,  even  if  there  had  been 
a  crime  to  balance.  But  there  was  not  a  vestige 
of  evidence  to  show  that  there  had  been." 

Delfina  'had  hysterics  again  at  the  mention  of 
the  child,  which  she  considered  in  very  bad  taste; 
in  fact,  such  reference  was  nothing  less  than  in- 
sulting to  her.  So  Mr.  Atterly  dismissed  the  con- 
sulting attorney  who  had  betrayed  so  little  sym- 
pathy, and  took  up  alone  the  task  of  comforting 
Mrs.  Darrett. 

333 


Miss  Moccasins 

For  Anchor  was  of  no  use  whatever.  She  only 
wandered  restlessly  in  and  out  of  the  rooms,  or 
sat  numb  and  dumb  under  the  palms  of  the  court. 
She  had  not  spoken  Leighton's  name,  and  Del- 
fina's  wordy  emotions  took  on  an  added  grievance 
at  her  silence. 

"  Of  course,  it  doesn't  hurt  you,  all  this  scan- 
dal about  the  woman  and  child;  but  you  might 
have  a  little  human  sympathy,  Anchor !  " 

"  It  did  not  hurt  you,  either,  so  long  as  Mr. 
Leighton  buried  the  mother  and  took  care  of  the 
child  and  no  one  else  knew  it !  " 

"  Knew  it!  "  cried  Delfina.  "  Everybody  knew 
it,  of  course,  except  you,  but  they  did  not  know  I 
knew  it !  And  as  if  I  had  not  had  enough  to  bear, 
it  had  to  be  told  over  again  before  that  gaping 
crowd!  Oh,  Mac  Leighton  was  careful  no  one 
should  miss  hearing  it  all!  " 

"  I  doubt  now  if  he  told  half,"  said  the  girl, 
wearily,  "  and  he  would  not  have  told  that  if  he 
could  have  secured  absolute  justice  for  Galbraith 
without  it.  Any  one  could  see  that  just  as  they 
could  see  our  great  debt  to  him, — a  debt  greater 
than  we  can  ever  pay." 

"Debt?"  repeated  Delfina.  "Oh,  you  mean 
Hermosa?  Well,  you're  not  much  of  a  business 
woman  after  all!  He  accepted  the  charge  of  the 
estate  from  my  father  and  he  had  no  right  to  let 
Felipe  and  me  run  it  for  ourselves.  I  wasn't  capa- 

334 


Miss  Moccasins 

ble,  and  of  course  we  made  mistakes.  Every  one 
seems  to  think  it  so  wonderful  that  he  simply  kept 
his  word  to  my  father.  Jt  wasn't  for  me  he  did 
it,  I  see  that  now!  He  made  up  the  losses  of 
Hermosa  because  he  promised  father,  and,"  she 
added,  with  tingling  bitterness,  "  he  did  Felipe's 
work  here,  and  at  '  Treasure  Trove,'  because  he 
had  killed  Felipe!" 

Only  a  little  shiver,  as  if  from  cold,  showed  that 
her  arrow  had  struck.  No  word,  no  protest ;  only 
a  dumb  acceptance  of  facts,  irritating  to  Delfina, 
who  wanted  words. 

"  I  have  telephoned  for  some  friends,"  she  con- 
tinued, "  I'll  simply  die  if  I  have  not  some  life 
about  me  so  long  as  I  do  stay,  and  that  won't  be 
a  day  longer  than  your  lawyers  and  mine  require 
to  fix  up  the  papers.  I'm  glad  the  place  is  off  my 
hands  forever!  I'm  going  straight  to  Paris. 
What's  to  become  of  you  ?  " 

"  Me?  I  have  not  thought.  I  was  asked  to 
visit  at  Judge  Bisham's,  and  I  may  accept.  Or 
his  widowed  sister  might  come  here,  perhaps.  I 
shall  manage  someway." 

'  Yes,  I  should  think  you  could,"  observed  Del- 
fina. "  On  the  money  the  Bishams  say  you  have, 
you  could  manage  pretty  well  anywhere!  That 
lawyer  asked  me  if  it  were  true  you  had  bought 
Old  Mission.  They  seem  to  think  if  you  could 
buy  Hermosa  you  can  buy  the  earth !  " 

335 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad,  so  glad  now  that  I  did  buy 
it!"  breathed  the  girl,  softly.  "I  can  give  it 
back  now,  can't  I?  It  will  help  some — a  little — 
to  balance  '  Treasure  Trove !  ' 

"  Good  Heavens !  "  cried  Delfina,  dumfounded 
by  this  last  revelation.  "  Do  you  mean  that  it 
actually  was  you  who  bought  it?  Do  you  hear 
this,  Mr.  Atterly,  two  ranches  in  one  week!  The 
girl  is  crazy!  " 

"  I  regret  that  I  am  not  afflicted  with  the  same 
sort  of  madness — and  luck,"  remarked  Delfina's 
legal  friend.  "  Then  you  have  acquired  all  but  a 
few  little  garden  plots  of  what  was  in  the  old  days 
the  famous  Leighton  rancho.  In  any  other  coun- 
try it  would  be  considered  almost  a  principality. 
It  is  larger  than  many  a  kingdom!  " 

"  Anchor,  do  sit  down  and  talk  instead  of  going 
about  in  that  restless,  doleful  way !  "  said  Del- 
fina, fretfully.  "  I'm  so  nervous,  I'm  just  sick 
as  it  is,  and  you  make  me  feel  as  if  there  is  a 
funeral  in  the  house !  " 

"  I  feel  like  one!  "  said  the  girl;  and  Delfina 
shuddered  again. 

'  You  are  always  here  when  trouble  comes,  Mr. 
Atterly!"  she  sighed.  "Do  you  remember  the 
other  awful  day?  It's  no  wonder  I  hate  every 
foot  of  this  valley !  I  never  look  out  of  that 
window  that  I  do  not  seem  to  see  the  crowd  troop- 
ing through  the  park  to  bury  that  Mexican  girl. 

336 


Miss  Moccasins 

That  was  Mac  Leighton's  work,  and  I've  a  good 
mind  to  undo  it  yet !  " 

"  In  what  way?  " 

"  Such  tribes  have  their  own  burial  grounds, 
haven't  they?  Can't  I  make  them  move  her?  " 

"  I  think,"  remarked  Anchor,  quietly,  "  it  would 
be  better  to  bring  Felipe  over  here,  than  to  do 
what  you  suggest.  The  girl  has  surely  earned 
grave  room  beside  Felipe  Darrett.  Let  her  have 
it." 

"  Anchor,  have  you  no  feeling?  "  cried  Delfina. 
"  I  never  expected  you  could  speak  of  Felipe  so 
heartlessly."  Then,  after  a  few  quiet  moments 
with  her  handkerchief  to  her  eyes,  she  whimpered, 
"  I  do  hope  you  won't  make  bad  worse,  by  having 
anything  to  do  with  the  child  after  I  am  gone!  " 

Anchor  made  no  reply,  and,  after  a  little  pause, 
Delfina  lowered  the  handkerchief  and  looked  at 
her.  Something  in  the  girl's  face  made  her  for- 
get her  whimpering. 

"  You  don't  mean  that  you  intend  to  take  that 
child?  "  she  demanded. 

'  The  only  thing  to  prevent  me,"  said  Anchor, 
quietly,  "is  that  I  can't  see  how  any  Darrett  could 
ask  a  further  favor  from  Mr.  Leighton." 

"  Now,  what  did  she  mean  by  that?  "  queried 
Delfina  of  Mr.  Atterly,  as  Anchor  left  the  room. 
'  Thank  goodness  there  are  some  live  people  com- 
ing this  evening.  Anchor  is  so  hard  on  my  nerves ! 

337 

23 


Miss  Moccasins 

Did  she  mean  that  she  was  too  prejudiced  against 
him  to  accept  any  favor?  or  did  she  mean  he  had 
done  too  much  already  for  any  Darrett  to  ask 
more?" 

But  Mr.  Atterly  had  no  idea.    He  agreed  that 
Miss  Darrett  was  at  times  perplexing. 


XXIII 

"GOOD-BYE  TO  HOPE." 

That  night  Delfma's  guests  brought  music  and 
laughter  into  the  sala.  And  after  three  hours  of 
the  chatter,  of  the  games,  and  of  supper,  Anchor 
stole  out  alone  to  one  of  the  little  stone  balconies 
where  the  sound  of  voices  and  laughter  were  soft- 
ened by  distance.  Only  the  stars  gave  light  in 
the  dark  blue  to  show  the  winding  paths  in  the 
park  where  the  crushed  shawls  showed  white. 
Once  she  thought  she  saw  a  figure  cross  the 
path -and  move  towards  the  house,  but  concluded 
she  was  mistaken  when  no  one  came  into  the  circle 
of  light  streaming  from  the  windows  of  the  sala, 
and  making  blacker  by  contrast  the  dense  shadows 
of  the  shrubbery. 

Some  of  the  house  servants  had  gathered  under 
the  balcony  in  a  little  group,  looking  into  the  win- 
dows of  the  sala  and  listening  to  a  girl  singing 
there.  They  spoke  together  in  subdued  tones,  but 
now  and  then  sentences  came  up  to  the  balcony, 
and  one  of  them  caused  her  to  lift  her  head,  alert, 
listening ! 

"  Anita  telling  Roderiguez  how  it  is  sold  and 
how  they  all  may  be  going  away.  Don  Mac  he 

339 


Miss  Moccasins 

going  to-night  or  to-morrow,  gone  already  maybe 
to  Mexico.     He  never  coming  back  this  time !  " 
"  Sure,  he  come  back,"  remarked  another,  hope- 
fully. 

"  No,  Anita  say  how  Sefior  Braith  stay  behind 
to  sell  all  the  horses.  Then  he  taking  Diablo, 
Anita  and  Carmenita's  baby,  and  they  all  going 
to  some  old  rancho  in  Mexico.  Perenza  she  lay 
in  bed  all  day,  she  say  she  no  will  go,  and  she  no 
will  stay  except  Don  Mac  stay,  too!  That  old 
woman  most  crazy." 

"  Don  Mac  he  so  no  rich  any  more — no?  " 
"  Oh,  these  Americans  never  getting  all  poor!  " 
"  He  never  marry  our  Senora  now." 
"  How   the   Senora   marrying   him   when   Don 
Felipe    die    fighting    him?"    demanded   another. 
"How  could  that  be?" 

None  of  them  knew.  And  then  the  talk  drifted 
to  other  things,  and  the  group  scattered  as  one 
or  another  was  called  to  duty  elsewhere. 

A  carriage  was  called  a  little  later,  and  three 
laughing  girls  and  their  brother  bade  good  night 
and  were  driven  away.  Mr.  Atterly  and  another 
caller  followed,  leaving  only  a  couple  of  girls  who 
were  to  remain  for  the  night,  and  who  were  play- 
ing queer  dances,  and  dancing  them  to  Delfina's 
delight,  for  her  laugh  rang  high  and  clear  through 
the  open  windows. 

And  still  Anchor  sat  there  on  the  low  seat,  her 

340 


Miss   Moccasins 

arms  resting  on  the  carved  railing  and  her  chin 
on  her  palms,. staring  out  into  the  night,  hearing 
no  longer  the  laughter  below,  seeing  nothing  but 
the  pictures  in  her  own  wearied  brain. 

To-morrow!  Perhaps  to-night!  Going  from 
his  own  home,  beggared  because  of  the  help  he 
had  given  to  others ! 

Now  she  knew  what  her  restlessness  had  meant; 
she  had  waited  from  hour  to  hour  for  some  word 
from  him,  some  sign !  Without  it,  how  could  she 
go  or  send?  How  let  him  know  she  had  seen 
"  Treasure  Trove  "  and  realized  how  deeply  he 
had  paid  for  the  mere  chance  of  a  finger  on  that 
trigger  ?  How  offer  him  Old  Mission  to  help  pay 
the  Barrett  debt? 

And  Jose !  Had  he  not  already  done  enough 
without  the  continued  burden  of  her  brother's 
child?  Her  mind  was  made  up, — there  was  no 
one  but  herself  to  do  what  was  needed  to  be  done. 
She  would  go  for  Jose,  and  she  would  tell  him. 

A  silvery  chime  of  midnight  sounded  from  a 
clock  below.  Four  hours  until  dawn, — and  at 
dawn  she  would  be  under  the  Mission  palms  again ! 

The  dancing  had  ceased.  One  of  the  girls  sang 
some  little  good-night  song,  and  then  her  fingers, 
moving  idly  over  the  keys,  struck  the  prelude  to 
Tortis's  "  Good-bye,"  and  the  girl  on  the  balcony 
dropped  her  head  in  her  arms  with  a  choking  sob. 

34i 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  All  the  to-morrows  will  be  as  to-day  1  "  sang 
the  girl  in  the  sala,  with  sorrowful  cadence. 

"  The  cord  is  frayed,  the  cruse  is  dry, 
The  link  must  break  and  the  lamp  must  die 
Good-bye  to  hope ! — Good-bye — good-bye !  " 

The  girl  on  the  balcony  arose  with  a  half  moan 
of  protest.  The  light  from  the  hall  streamed  out 
across  the  balcony  and  outlined  her  every  move- 
ment to  a  man  who  stood  hidden  in  the  shadows  of 
the  shrubbery  across  the  drive.  He  could  see 
her  heaving  shoulders  and  her  hands  clasping  and 
unclasping;  even  the  tears  wet  on  her  cheek  he 
could  see  as  the  light  touched  it. 

11  What  are  we  waiting  for — you  and  I 
A  fleeting  look — a  stifled  cry! 
Good-bye   forever — good-bye — good-bye !  " 

He  could  hear  the  sharp  indrawn  breath  of  her 
sobs,  then  the  laughter  and  gay  good-nights  in 
the  sala.  And  as  the  chattering  groups  ascended 
the  stairs,  and  Delfina  was  heard  inquiring  for  her, 
she  turned  swiftly  and  disappeared  in  the  interior. 


342 


XXIV 

THE  RIDE  AT  THE  DAWN. 

At  the  first  streak  of  dawn  she  crept  down  the 
great  stairway  and  out  to  the  stables  where  a 
sleepy  groom  stared  at  her  as  at  a  ghost.  But 
some  whispered  directions  and  a  coin  tied  his 
tongue  and  made  his  fingers  nimble,  and  a  few 
minutes  later  he  watched  the  Seiiorita  walk  her 
horse  silently  over  the  grass  where  horses  were 
not  allowed  to  step.  Before  she  had  reached  the 
gate  the  drifting  fogs  of  dawn  had  swallowed  her 
from  sight. 

At  the  gate  of  the  Mission  stable  she  saw  a 
horse  held,  saddled!  It  was  El  Diablo  and  her 
heart  crept  into  her  throat,  choking  her.  She  was 
barely  in  time  then!  But  how — how  could  she 
speak  ?  What  could  she  say  with  that  mad  thump- 
ing of  heart  and  brain? 

Even  to  the  stable  boy  she  could  scarcely  articu- 
late, but  he  grinned  and  nodded  his  head. 

"The  Senor — he  just  going!"  he  said,  and 
moved  El  Diablo  a  little  distance  from  the  strange 
animal  at  whom  he  was  pointing  his  ears  men- 
acingly. Then  she  heard  a  step,  the  jingle  of  a 
spur,  and  the  next  instant  Galbraith  loomed  up 
through  the  fog. 

343 


Miss   Moccasins 

He  halted,  dumfounded  at  sight  of  her,  tongue- 
tied  as  herself.  Then  he  spoke  in  Spanish  to  the 
boy,  who  relinquished  El  Diablo  into  his  hands 
and  disappeared. 

Galbraith  had  raised  his  hat  at  sight  of  her,  but 
did  not  speak  while  the  boy  was  in  hearing.  Then 
he  went  nearer  and  drew  a  letter  from  his  pocket. 

"  I  was  just  going  to  you,"  he  said,  simply. 
"  He  told  me  to  send  this  by  noon,  but  I — I 
thought  you  might  have  word  to  send  and  I  was 
taking  it  myself  as  soon  as  he  got  out  of  sight." 

"  Out  of  sight !  "  she  said,  mechanically,  star- 
ing at  the  envelope.  "  Has  he — has  he " 

"  He  started  not  five  minutes  ago  for  the  sta- 
tion above  Olivette.  He  didn't  want  to  meet 
people  in  the  town.  I  tried  to  keep  him  another 
day,  but  he  learned  yesterday  it  was  you  who 
bought  the  Mission,  and  at  Hermosa  last  night  he 
learned  you  had  bought  the  Gonzales  rancho  as 
well.  He  started  to  see  you  last  night,  but  he 
came  back  wild,  and  so — he  is  gone!  ' 

"  Oh — I  came  to  give  him  back  the  Mission — 
to  beg  him  to  take  it — and  to  ask  him  for  Jose !  " 
she  faltered.  "  Oh,  Braith !  Help  me,  help  me !  " 
'  You  mean  you  don't  hate  us  both  for  dragging 
your  brother's  name  through  all  that,  for  letting 
the  public  know?  Senorita,  if  you  don't,  for 
Mac's  sake  think  fast  and  speak  plain !  " 

344 


Miss  Moccasins 

She  opened  the  letter  and  cried  out  in  protest 
at  the  "  Good-bye  "  with  which  it  began. 

"  Oh,  he  was  there  last  night !  "  she  half  sobbed. 
"  He  meant  to  see  me,  he  meant  to  tell !  Tell  me," 
she  said  abruptly,  crushing  the  letter  inside  the 
vest  of  her  habit.  "  Was  it  because  he  heard  I 
had  bought  the  ranches  that  he  left  without  see- 
ing me?  Tell  me  true!  " 

"  It  was  one  of  the  reasons.  He  is  a  poor  man, 
now.  He  has  only  a  little  Mexican  property  left. 
It  may  pan  out,  and  it  may  not !  " 

She  gathered  up  the  reins,  a  look  of  resolve  in 
her  eyes,  to  which  the  quick  tears  sprang. 

"  Good-bye,"  she  said,  briefly.  "  Which  road 
did  he  take?" 

'  You  are — you  are  going  after  him  yourself?  " 
he  demanded,  catching  her  bridle. 

"  I  am  going  after  him  myself,"  she  said,  plain- 
ly emphatic.  "  I  don't  know  what  he  will  say  and 
I  don't  care  what  any  one  thinks!  Oh,  Braith, 
you  know — you  must  know — the  money  is  no  use 
to  me  if  it  sends  him  down  there  alone!  Money! 
I  would  go  with  him  if  I  had  to  live  in  a  mud  hut 
in  the  hills!" 

"Wait!" 

Galbraith  was  unsaddling  El  Diablo  with  light- 
ning speed,  and  the  girl  comprehending  his  inten- 
tion without  a  word,  slipped  from  the  saddle  which 
he  quickly  transferred. 

345 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  He  had  ten  minutes  start,  but  El  Diablo,  with 
your  weight,  will  catch  him.  Adios,  Seiiorital 
God  Almighty  clear  the  way  for  you!  " 

He  crushed  the  hem  of  her  skirt  to  his  lips  as 
she  leaped  to  the  saddle.  Then  he  stepped  back, 
pointing  the  way,  and  El  Diablo  sprung  forward 
like  an  arrow.  No  curveting  tricks,  no  side  step- 
ping dances !  He  seemed  to  realize  that  this  ride 
at  dawn  left  no  time  for  play. 

Some  Mexicans,  stretched  in  the  shadows  of  the 
hedge,  sleeping  off  the  too  potent  effects  of  new 
brandy,  started  up  at  sound  of  the  thunder  of 
hoofs  bearing  down  on  them,  and  crossed  them- 
selves in  vague  dread  as  they  caught  sight  of  the 
girl's  white  face  and  the  great  eyes  dark  with  in- 
tensity as  she  swept  past  looking  neither  to  right 
nor  left. 

"Holy  Mother!"  muttered  one,  rubbing  the 
sleep  from  his  eyes.  "  It  is  the  Sefiorita  of  the 
Moccasins, — or  it  is  her  spirit !  She  was  seen  like 
that  the  night  of  the  flood !  She  rides  somewhere 
to  save  some  one!  Blessed  Mother,  watch  over 
her!" 

The  memory  of  that  other  ride  in  the  dusk 
came  to  her  as  she  bent  low  and  whispered  to  El 
Diablo,  and  lifted  her  head  to  scan  the  open  road. 

Over  the  fields  the  growing  light  picked  out 
clearly  now  the  hedges  and  hollows,  and  far  to 

346 


Miss  Moccasins 

the  east  a  growing  pink  pierced  the  sky  of  mauve 
and  silver. 

Her  heart  gave  a  happy  throb  as  she  saw  it, 
and  she  patted  the  shoulder  of  El  Diablo,  and 
laughed  softly,  and  whispered: 

"  Run — run  Diablo!  It  is  an  omen.  We  rode 
into  the  shadows  and  horror  that  other  time,  but 
now  the  new  day  is  before  us,  the  new  day  and 
the  sunshine !  " 

Just  as  the  first  lance  of  gold  shot  through  the 
blush  in  the  east,  she  heard,  far  down  the  valley, 
the  shrill  whistle  of  the  coming  train,  and  flashed 
past  the  startled  Mexican  boy  who  had  driven  the 
cart  from  the  Mission  with  Don  Mac's  traveling 
traps.  And  a  few  moments  later  El  Diablo  thun- 
|dered  up  the  rise  to  the  little  station  where  one 
^man  paced  alone,  with  hands  clasped  back  of  him 
and  head  drooped,  waiting. 

If  any  words  of  greeting  were  spoken,  neither 
could  ever  remember  what  they  were.  He  raised 
his  eyes  to  see  her  leaning  forward  on  El 
Diablo,  her  hand  outstretched  to  him!  He  lifted 
her  from  the  saddle  and  for  the  second  time  she 
heard  the  broken  murmurs  of  his  tones  close  to 
her  ear,  and  this  time  she  felt  tears,  not  her  own, 
on  her  cheek. 

"My  Senorita!  My  little  girl!"  he  half 
groaned.  "  How  can  I  say  good-bye  to  you 
now?" 

347 


Miss  Moccasins 

"  I — I  didn't  come  to  say — that !  "  she  whis- 
pered. "  Diablo — Diablo — never  would  have 
made  the  run  for  just — '  Good-bye ! 

And  then  Diablo,  snuffing  and  prancing  at  the 
rumble  of  the  approaching  train,  heard  the  glad 
laugh  of  Don  Mac  as  he  clasped  the  Seiiorita  in 
his  arms. 

El  Diablo  saw  or  heard  no  more  than  that,  for 
he  bolted  for  home  as  the  scream  of  the  train  cut 
the  air  of  sunrise. 

Around  a  little  knoll  a  man  on  a  reeking  horse 
blocked  the  way  and  caught  him,  and  El  Diablo 
recognizing  a  Mission  mate,  halted  and  surveyed 
the  foaming  animal  that  had  kept  in  sight  all  the 
way,  lest  some  mishap  should  have  chanced  El 
Diablo's  rider. 

The  newcomer  slipped  from  the  saddle  and 
stood  listening,  listening  to  the  slowing  train,  the 
slight  pause,  the  sliding  open  of  the  baggage  car 
door,  the  sound  of  voices,  and  then  the  music  of 
the  engine  bell  smothered  by  the  sound  of  the 
wheels  rolling  southward  faster  and  faster,  until 
only  the  echoes  came  back  drifting  along  the  little 
hollows  where  the  fog  still  rested. 

And  when  the  last  echo  drifted  into  silence,  the 
man  flung  himself  face  downward  in  the  grass  by 
the  road.  The  horses  grazed  near,  glad  of  the 
breathing  space  after  that  mad  run,  and  El  Diablo 
lifted  his  beautiful  head  and  regarded  with  curi- 

348 


Miss   Moccasins 

osity  the  man  lying  there  in  the  grass  with  his  face 
hidden  in  his  arms. 

A  few  hours  later  a  girl  in  a  riding  habit,  and 
a  man  whom  Dolores  called  "Sefior  Americano'* 
stood  before  an  old  priest  in  the  little  adobe  of 
"  Treasure  Trove."  The  dead  past  was  buried 
by  the  vows  made  over  their  clasped  hands,  and 

its  ghost  has  never  risen  to  trouble  them. 
******** 

The  boy,  Jose,  rides  now  over  the  ranges  beside 
his  adored  Don  Mac  and  his  adorable  Dona  An- 
chor. He  has  the  beautiful  eyes  of  Felipe,  but 
his  nature  is  more  that  of  the  devoted  Spanish 
girl  who  sleeps  in  the  grounds  of  Hermosa. 

Delfina  never  forgave  the  marriage  of  Anchor. 
The  shock  was  so  great  that  she  started  at  once 
for  the  East,  whither  Mr.  Atterly  followed  soon 
after  to  comfort  her.  She  did  not  even  send  cards 
to  the  Leightons  when  the  wedding  occurred,  six 
months  later. 

The  doves  circle  as  of  old  over  the  belfry  of 
Old  Mission  and  peace  lies  over  the  land  of  Her- 
mosa. Perenza  and  Dolores  sit  by  the  hour  in 
the  patio  and  watch  a  tiny  baby  boy  and  girl  play- 
ing under  the  vines,  or  splashing  with  the  doves  in 
the  fountain. 

The  boy  is  called  Braith,  and  when  he  asks 
questions  about  the  big  man  he  was  named  for, 
and  who  used  to  live  here  in  the  patio,  but  who 
rode  away  one  day  and  never  came  back,  he  won- 

349 


Miss   Moccasins 

'ders  why  Don  Mac  always  gives  him  an  extra 
kiss,  but  tells  him  not  to  ask  questions,  and  why. 
the  tears  come  into  his  mama's  eyes,  and  she  always 
sends  him  to  see  if  sister  is  awake,  or  asleep,  or 
playing  too  long  in  the  sun ! 


350 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000124930     9 


